Serendipity
by Oblivion Star Seeker
Summary: He wasn't expecting to find himself caught up in a series of emotions pertaining to the reigning Sinnoh champion. A story of interconnecting oneshots. Part of The Emotions List Writing Challenge. Lolishotashipping/Darksteelshipping.
1. Embarrassment

_Embarrassment_

* * *

The annual Pokémon League Gala, where Champions, Elite Four, and Gym Leaders from every region were invited every year for an evening of fine wine, food, and a chance to mingle with some of the most recognized trainers in the world. The event was always held in a different region, and this year, it happened to be in Hoenn.

Steven Stone was never fond of events like these, usually leaving halfway through, or not even attending the event at all. The times that he did attend would be from the constant pestering and chronic persistence of his old friend, Wallace. However this year he knew, to his dismay, it was his responsibility to attend and stay the whole evening as the reigning Hoenn champion. And as champion of his home region, he would have to make the opening toast and welcome the visitors.

Needless to say, he was not looking forward to it at all.

As his limo came to a halt in front of the grand hall where the event would take place, he took in a deep breath, preparing to steel himself for the event. When his door opened by the awaiting bellboy outside, he was immediately met with an onslaught of flashes and chattering voices. The media was going to be buzzing with stories tonight of who wore what and who this person came with – it sounded like mayhem for the champion.

He sent smiles towards the many cameras as he walked down the red carpet (these events _were_ quite fancy, to be frank) and into the building. Many guests and attendees were already there, a few stopping by to greet him when they recognized who he was.

"Steven Stone." A large hand suddenly clapped him on the back. He turned around to see the two familiar faces he recognized to be the father and son gym leaders of Sinnoh, Byron, looking somewhat out-of-place wearing a fancy tuxedo, and Roark, who just smiled his way. "Decided to come out of the cave for tonight, huh?" Byron asked.

Steven chuckled at his reference to his favorite pastime. "Indeed, though as much as I would like to be digging for rocks right now, it _is _my duty as the Champion to attend any important event held in Hoenn." He held out his hand. "It's good to see you again, Byron."

Byron nodded and shook his hand. Even through the tight material of his suit, Steven could see the man's bulging muscles. The attire most definitely did not suit the man at all.

From beside the ground-type gym leader, Roark was craning his neck to see through the many faces passing by the main lobby, appearing as if he was looking for someone. "Where is she…?"

"Son, if I didn't know any better, I would think it would have been appropriate to have arrived _with_ Gardenia as her escort," Byron told the young man.

"She told me she'd meet me here and I didn't want to argue back," Roark replied, still looking away. Suddenly his eyes widened in surprise. "Ah, good, she's here!" He then turned to the other two men. "Sorry, looks like my date's arrived. Good luck on your speech tonight, Steven."

Steven nodded in understanding and watched the younger man weave his way through the crowd and disappear in a matter of moments.

"Ah, that kid's head over heels with that girl," Byron mused with a grin as he crossed his arms. He then nudged the Hoenn champion with his elbow. "What about you, you got someone you're waiting for?"

Steven flushed. "Oh no, nothing of the sort," he replied. "I'm just waiting for this night to be over with, to be honest."

"Well, well, here I thought a handsome lad like you would already be caught up in a relationship," the man commented. "Guess I shouldn't judge a book by its cover."

"The only love I have right now is my dedication to my hobby and current job as champion."

"Well speaking of hobbies, how goes that expedition of yours to finding a meteorite?" Byron asked with a glint of wide interest in the topic. "Any luck so far?"

Steven smiled, knowing how caught up in a conversation like this could make him. "Truth be told, it's been difficult. I'd heard rumours of one being somewhere in Meteor Falls but to no avail have I discovered one yet. Still, there are many areas I haven't looked in yet, though –"

A soft clearing of a throat behind him caught his attention. "Excuse me, Mr. Stone?"

He turned around. "Yes?"

"The opening introductions are about to start, we need you on stage soon," a worker of the hall, judging by the headset and clipboard she was holding, informed him. Steven felt dismay but nodded at the woman.

"Ah, certainly, my apologies." He turned back to Byron. "I'm sorry, Byron, perhaps we can continue this conversation later?"

"Don't sweat it, kid." He patted the young champion's shoulder. "Don't choke up there, y'hear?"

With that he walked off to enter the main hall area and Steven followed the woman.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, with a clapping audience marking a job well done, he gave a toast to all the trainers in the room, and hastily stepped off the stage when his speech ended. One task down, now he just needed to survive the rest of the night.

A series of congratulations were in order as he walked past many familiar faces, all giving them their praise at his smooth performance on the podium. He thanked them all and was just about to head over to where Byron was speaking with Crasher Wake and Clay when an unknown blonde passed by him, making him stop and stare.

Though he did not catch her face, looking at her from behind brought about a swirl of Butterfree in his stomach. She had back-length platinum blonde hair (though judging by how it was tied up, it was probably longer) where a series of curls cascaded down her backside. She wore a long, flowing, black gown that seemingly accentuated the noticeable curves she possessed. And from what he could see, the back of her dress dipped low revealing much of her back whenever her hair swayed to expose it. He felt his body temperature rise as he continued to stare as the unknown woman walked alongside the oldest member of the Sinnoh Elite Four he recognized to be Bertha. Steven was hoping to see her face as he only managed to get a side glimpse of her which was not enough to set in stone in his mind.

Unbeknownst to him were the watching eyes of his fellow colleagues who took in the entire scene in front of them. Crasher Wake could only howl with laughter when he could not contain it any longer at the sight of the young man obviously star struck by the blonde beauty who passed by him. Wake's laughter brought Steven out of his state of reverie and saw the men equally giving him amused looks. His cheeks instantly started to burn with colour and embarrassment at the display they just witnessed. He was never going to live this down.

"Quite the catch there, eh, Mr. Stone?" Clay teased the young man who slowly brought it in himself to walk up to them finally.

His mind was in total shambles at this point, unable to fight through the embarrassment and his thoughts on the woman. "I-I…uh…"

"So, Cynthia's caught your eye, huh?" Byron's voice made Steven jerk his head his way.

"Cynthia?" Was that her name?

"Yeah, she's the new champ representing Sinnoh," Byron responded. Steven only stared at him, confused. "She beat Rowan a few weeks ago, didn't you hear?"

That would explain why he did not see Professor Rowan among the sea of faces tonight. "Uh, no, I didn't," he admitted a bit shamefully. Steven never was one to pay much attention to tabloids and such nowadays since his work often got the best of him.

"She's a strong one, I tell ya'," Crasher Wake, who seemed to finally recover from his laughing fit, chimed into their conversation. "I remember like it was yesterday when she took my poor Floatzel out with that powerful Garchomp of hers. Completely annihilated my team when she won my badge."

Byron grunted in agreement. "It was no surprise to me that she would make it far," he said. "She's got talent."

Steven's gaze had roamed off to find the female champion once more, only to notice that he had lost sight of her through the crowd. He frowned slightly and turned back to find them all staring at him again.

"What?"

"What're you thinking, Champ?" Clay asked, crossing his arms. "Love at first sight?"

The champion visibly flushed a deep scarlet. How preposterous of him to say that. "I haven't even seen her face yet," he retorted, not knowing his words would result in chaos (in his eyes, he viewed it as chaos, at least).

Wake and Byron exchanged a knowing look with one another and smirked.

_Uh oh_.

"How about we go introduce you to her, right now?" Wake suggested, with a devilish grin.

"W-Wait, what?" Steven exclaimed, his face beginning to burn up again. "N-No, I assure you, that's not necessary…"

"Nonsense, the night's young, ain't it?" Wake clapped the young man on the back. Byron took his other shoulder and started to weave themselves through the crowd. "I've been meaning to congratulate her on the win anyway."

This was bad. In no way was he prepared to introduce himself in the state he was in right now. "I think I hear Wallace calling me, actually –"

"Ah, I think I see her."

Steven had never wanted to face palm himself as badly as he wanted to at that moment.

Byron was already calling out to her when Steven started to panic inside. What would he say? What if she only laughed at him? How could he have gotten himself into such a mess on a night like this?

Cynthia turned around at the call of her name, and time seemed to stop for the Hoenn champion as he took in her features finally. Never had he witnessed such a stunningly beautiful face as hers before. Her bangs covered half her face, however, but the one eye that was showing was a stormy grey eye looking back. His face could not get any more redder. She was the epitome of a goddess, in his eyes.

"Why, Cynthia, congratulations on becoming Sinnoh's new champion," Wake applauded her achievement with a high sense of recognition. "By the way, you look smashing on this fine night." Steven's stomach did an odd turn at his compliment.

She smiled. Steven only stared. "That's very sweet of you, Wake, thank you," she replied. Arceus, even her voice was like a sweet melody to his ears.

"By the way, Mr. Stone here was dying to introduce himself to you this evening," Byron added in. Steven deadpanned at his words. When her gaze set on his own cerulean one, he froze. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

However, thankfully, Cynthia's eyes lit up and she sent him a warm smile. "Oh, Mr. Stone, that was an excellent speech you presented earlier. You simply have a way with words."

"Well…it wasn't all too impressive," he replied sheepishly, looking down at the nonexistent scuff on his shoes.

"Nonsense, you did a wonderful job." Damn, her smile was beautiful.

Behind Steven, Wake looked at Byron and jerked his head to the left, giving him the signal. Byron nodded.

"Oh my, is that Clay over there drinking a little too much fine wine they serve here?" Wake said in an all too obvious fake tone of surprise.

"Why, I think it is," Byron agreed. He turned to the two young adults and waved. "I think we need to help out our old friend back there. Pardon our interruption." He sent Steven a wink and the two left in a flash. Steven was left to fend for himself in front of the Sinnoh Champion. Where was the confidence he needed?

After a moment of silence, he looked back at Cynthia and grinned sheepishly.

And so he said the first thing that came to mind to start up a conversation, which he realized was a completely stupid decision only after he said it.

"So…do you like rocks?"

* * *

**Steven used his rock obsession! It's not very effective…**

**Or is it? Haha! (I'm lame, I know…)**

**Hello to all! I've wanted to write something about these two for the longest time, and I think I've finally found the motivation to do it after finding a list of prompts. I won't say how many but it's A LOT. I may be crazy enough to have thought that I could do this, actually. Alas, I'm actually pretty excited to start this big project. I've got most of the chapters all planned out and sticking to the game plan is going to be my goal. Be warned though, there isn't really a definitive plot to this fic; not much conflict of good guy vs. bad guy or anything of the sort. It's more like a series of oneshots starting from the time they meet, so I apologize if you were expecting some full out adventure to occur between these two.**

**It's been quite a long time since I wrote anything that I posted for this site (this will be my first ever Pokémon contribution!). Let's hope this motivation lasts. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Enthusiasm

_Enthusiasm_

* * *

Despite his awkward attempt to create a conversation during the gala, Steven was relieved that she did not simply stare at him or produce an odd look. Instead, she merely laughed and commented that rocks were fascinating since they were able to give insight on events of the past. It was here that he learned of her passion for history and mythology.

Steven had to admit, he had never met someone so enthusiastic when it came to their interests as he did with Cynthia. Upon mentioning the topic, her eyes seemed to brighten with excitement at the chance to express her passions. The Hoenn Champion found himself gravitated to listen to what she had to say. Maybe it was just the sound of her voice that had him piqued with interest or perhaps it was the fact that she was easy to talk to. Whatever it was, they really hit it off that night.

As the night drew to a close with almost every guest beaming with pleasure to have attended such a fine party, Steven found himself sharing the mutual feeling. It surprised him that he actually felt elated to have attended for once. Even Wallace was shocked by his friend's cheery attitude after the event.

"I'm surprised you decided not to bail halfway through," the water-type gym leader told him. They were standing in the main lobby as many of the guests started to take their leave. "What made you stay?"

Steven smiled faintly and shrugged. "It's common courtesy for every champion, isn't it?"

Wallace was hardly convinced by his reasoning, however. "I find that hard to believe since I remember you saying earlier this week you were willing to break that tradition at a moment's notice," he retorted, gazing at the champion with suspicion.

"Well, believe it or not, I had a change of heart, in fact -" Steven felt a light tap on his shoulder just then. He turned around and was graced with the Sinnoh champion's presence once more, causing his stomach to flip in delight. "Oh, hello again."

She looked like she was ready to leave given the fact that she was wearing a beige trench coat now which hid the glorious black gown she was wearing underneath. "Mr. Stone, it was a great pleasure to have made your acquaintance tonight and to have been able to attend such an occasion," Cynthia said to him with a polite smile.

"Ah, I feel the same to have met you," he replied, smiling as well. "I take it that you'll be leaving to go back to Sinnoh tomorrow, correct?"

She nodded. "Although, I plan to come back in a few weeks to do a little research of my own on some of Hoenn's history." Steven smiled at this bit of information. "Also…" She paused suddenly, taking a strand of her hair and pushing it back, before continuing in a soft tone, "I may be a little bold in asking this, but would you be willing to join me in a battle the next time I come here?" Steven was suddenly dumbfounded by her sudden request. She seemed to have sensed his confusion because she continued without missing a beat, "Battling has always been a passion of mine, you see, and is probably above that of my knack for learning history and such. I always find it in myself to challenge any trainer I think has the potential to best me." Her gaze suddenly averted from his for a second and Steven swore he might have seen a light tinge of red on her cheeks. "And seeing how you're known to be the strongest in all of Hoenn, will you accept my challenge?"

It took Steven a moment to recollect his thoughts and not stand there like a gaping idiot before he responded, "O-Of course! I would love to, in fact." He did not mind at all the opportunity to get to know her a little better (her battling prowess, of course). From what Byron and Wake were telling him earlier in the evening, he was curious to experience what a match with her was like. He was interested in seeing for himself if she was indeed as strong as they said about her.

"I look forward to it, then," she said and started for the doors after she bid farewell to him.

Steven was left staring out the glass doors from where she left. He had almost forgotten that Wallace was still there and had unwillingly witnessed the entire exchange happen before him. The champion turned to him with a beaming smile which soon faded away at the funny look his friend was giving him. "What?"

"I think I understand now," Wallace muttered under his breath. He grinned at the confused expression Steven was wearing and simply waved the matter off. "So you're acquaintances with Cynthia, huh?"

"Yeah, I suppose so," the rock maniac said warily and then frowned. "Quit giving me that look of yours."

Wallace's grin never faltered when he patted him on the shoulder and brushed past him. "In due time, my friend," was all he said before exiting through the same doors Cynthia had left through.

Steven was left behind to contemplate what he meant by his parting words. However, those thoughts were pushed aside when thoughts of seeing her again in a few weeks took over. He chuckled to himself. In a sense, he probably had to thank Byron and Wake for having introduced him to the Sinnoh champion, despite his earlier protests. Tonight was certainly filled with unexpected events. Steven was just glad that he decided not to leave and instead stay for it all to unfold before him.

* * *

**Short prompt today, I know. Each chapter will kind of vary in size depending on how many ideas I can think to add. These are just oneshots, right? Regardless, I hope no one minds too much... Next one should be longer. Anyway, thanks for reading! :)**


	3. Love

_Love_

* * *

The day after she returned from Hoenn, Cynthia first went to stop by her hometown to visit her family. Apparently her younger sister was back home as well from her own journey and she was dying to see her again. Though Heather was always known to be a pain to Cynthia, having gone several months without seeing her eliminated any feelings of sibling rivalry, really. The two had gone through thick and thin in the past after their parents got into an accident leaving the two to live with their grandparents. They were eleven and five years old, respectively, when it happened. And since then, Cynthia has always held a protective stance for her younger sister as she was so young at the time to understand the situation fully.

Right now, she just wanted to see her baby sister's face and know how she was faring these days but also to check in on her grandparents. They weren't getting any younger as it was.

Once her Togekiss landed on the soil that was Celestic Town, she headed straight for the family house, which was easy to spot since her grandmother was the elder leader and was given the only house that overlooked the entire town at the top of the hill. She slid the door open and was met with the nostalgic atmosphere and aroma of the home she grew up in throughout her childhood.

Slipping off her shoes, she had barely taken one step out of the entry area when she heard a pair of feet running down the halls somewhere in the house.

"Cynthia's home, Grandma!"

Cynthia barely had time to prepare for the coming impact of her younger sister slamming into her, hugging her tightly, which caused the both of them to topple to the floor with a loud thump. Her entire backside started to ache in pain.

"Heather!" she reprimanded the seventeen-year-old clinging to her on the floor. "Get off of me!" She yelped when she felt something licking her face and fixed her eyes on a small blue and black pokémon, her grandmother's Shinx, right next to her. This version of a warm welcome home was starting to irritate the champion.

"I've missed you so much, big sis!" her sister replied, not paying any heed to what she was just told, and only hugged her tighter. Their Shinx agreed to this and nuzzled its face against Cynthia's cheek. "It's been _way_ too long since I've last seen you since I wasn't able to attend your Champion coronation last month! By the way, sorry I couldn't attend, the boat plane in Kanto was out of service and I couldn't get back home in time to see you."

"It's…okay -" Cynthia was struggling to pry the brunette from her. "_Arceus_, can you get up already?"

She paused her actions when she heard a loud sigh from above. Cynthia looked over her sister's shoulder (with a bit of difficulty as she had to sit up to do so) and saw her grandmother shaking her head in disappointment. She was holding a wooden spoon with her hands on her hips as she looked down at the two siblings on the floor.

"Not even five minutes that you've stepped into the house, Cynthia, and already you two are creating a ruckus?"

The champion frowned. "It isn't my fault, Heather was the one who slammed into me," she reasoned, feeling like a child again whenever she and her sister would get into disputes and their grandmother would have to take role as the mediator.

Her grandmother sighed once more. "Heather, please get off your sister."

The brunette did as told, smiling brightly as she held out a hand for Cynthia to help her up. When she finally stood, Heather once again hugged her, although without toppling them over this time. Cynthia returned the hug with a chuckle. "For the record, I've missed you as well," she said to her. Her grandmother's Shinx yipped. She smiled down at it. "And I've missed you too, Shinx." It appreciatively nuzzled the bottom of her pants in approval. When they pulled back, Cynthia immediately went into big sister mode, cupping her baby sister's face in her hands to inspect for any bruises, scars, cuts, anything that was different the last time they saw each other. "How are you? You get into any recent accidents I should know about?"

Heather swatted Cynthia's hands away from her face. "I'm fine, I'm fine," she assured her. "I'm not as reckless anymore as you might think."

Cynthia smiled and turned to her grandmother next. She immediately went for a hug, savoring the feeling of being with her family again. "Hi, Grandmother," she murmured to the older woman.

"Hello, dear," her grandmother said with a happy smile of her own. "How was the gala in Hoenn?"

"It was nice," she answered truthfully when she pulled back. "The region itself is really magnificent."

"I'm so glad to hear it." The older woman looked at the two of them before saying, "Now, lunch is just about ready, we can talk all about your trip then. Why don't you two get your grandfather? He's out in the back."

"Okay!" came the cheery reply of Heather. She picked up the small electric-type pokémon with one arm and grabbed her older sister's hand, dragging her into the house. "C'mon!"

* * *

Being able to sit and have lunch with her family again made Cynthia feel like she was truly home. The last time they had all sat down together for a meal was so long ago, she felt remorse for not having visited as much when she first began her adventure as a trainer before Heather ventured off on her own journey. However, as her grandmother had once said, they would leave the house eventually to go their respective paths in life, and she could only thank her grandparents for providing them with the best, even in their retired age.

As Cynthia was finishing up the last few bites of her meal, with her grandmother's Shinx sleeping in her lap, Heather looked to the family and casually announced, "So I have a boyfriend now."

The statement alone nearly made the champion choke on the food she was still in the process of chewing which almost startled the small pokémon from its sleep. Her grandparents were just as shocked, although they didn't have quite the same reaction as she did, and just looked over to the brunette in surprise.

"Yeah, I met him a few months ago when I went to Kanto, turns out he's actually from Jubilife!" Heather told them when she noticed everyone's apparent interest. She then went on to explain all about him and how they met while her grandfather was giving her a hard stare, probably judging to see if this person was good enough to date his granddaughter. Cynthia smiled. She loved the thought of almost everyone in the house feeling a sense of protectiveness over the youngest of the family.

"Bring him over one day," he told Heather sternly. "I'd like to see this boy, myself."

"Aw, don't be like that, Grampa, he's a really nice guy once you get to know him!"

"I'm sure he is, Heather, but regardless, I'd like to see for myself," he concluded as he sipped at his tea. "No way are my granddaughters going to be dating anyone I don't approve of. Your mother went through the same treatment, you know."

Their grandmother chuckled from her end of the table. "Ah, yes, I remember the day your mother first brought your father home to meet us," she mused. "Your grandfather was so intent on finding some fault in him that, in the end, he discovered there could be no one any more perfect for your mother."

"Really?" Heather's eyes widened.

"Yes, why even ask your grandfather."

Their grandfather only smiled knowingly and everyone shared a laugh. Cynthia enjoyed hearing stories of her mother and father from their grandparents' experience. It made her think of how they were truly wonderful people and how shameful it was for the world to lose such precious souls too soon. Her grandmother often said that if they were still alive right now, they would be so proud of what she and her sister had accomplished in life so far. She took that idea to heart. All the hardships of her past only strengthened her to be the woman she was today.

"How about you, Cynthia?" The blonde looked at her sister. "Do you have an eye out for someone?"

"Of course not," she replied instinctively as she absentmindedly petted Shinx's soft fur. "My duty as champion is all I'm focused on right now." She suddenly paused, however, when a handsome face with silver-blue hair and bright cerulean eyes flashed in her mind. The thought slipped away however, and she had to sip her tea to cover up her sudden halt.

"Hm, I like that answer," her grandfather piped in with a smile. "However, I hope you know that you'll need to bring the man to me first to judge, as well."

She rolled her eyes playfully. "Yes, Grandfather, I know."

Heather was frowning, however. "Aw, really, sis? Not even a crush or something?"

"No."

"Not even a teensy one?"

"Nope."

"But you're the champion and you're extremely pretty!" her sister tried to reason with her. "I'd expect millions of guys falling head over heels with you."

No way was she going to have her sister try and pry into her nonexistent love life. "That may be true," Cynthia said, "but the feeling isn't mutual at the moment."

"Ah hah! So there is someone!"

The blonde stared incredulously at the brunette. "No, I just said -"

"That's enough, you two," her grandmother's voice barely rose above speaking level but it was enough to make the two siblings shut up. "Can't we have one free day where you two aren't constantly arguing?"

Their grandfather nodded. "You're grandmother's right," he said, "Though the house is a whole lot livelier now that you both are home." His wife sent him a glare at his encouraging comment and quickly added, "Er, I-I mean arguing is bad, yes. Listen to your grandmother."

There was a silence; a silence that was filled with only Shinx's light snoring noises as it continued to sleep despite the ruckus happening around it. The two siblings glanced at each other across the table and nodded to one another. In unison, they bowed their heads and said, "We're sorry."

Their grandmother sighed for the umpteenth time but Cynthia could see traces of a faint smile forming near the corners of her lips. That kind of apology would be the usual response from the both of them when they were younger and needed to atone for their actions. Cynthia missed the feeling.

"Now tell me, Heather," the old man began, breaking the silence that had followed. He stared intently at the brunette once more. "This young man you've taken a liking to, is he good at making tea?"

While her family was engrossed on the current subject, Cynthia took a moment to wonder why Steven's face had appeared for a fleeting second when Heather asked the first question. There was no doubt in her mind that she did, in fact, find the heir to the biggest company in Hoenn quite handsome when she spoke to him in person a couple nights ago. She noticed right off the bat that he was quite flustered when Byron introduced him to her, which amused her, but she spoke nothing of it and tried to make light conversation. It turned out that he was very intriguing and spoke in modesty whenever she praised his feats.

Thinking back to how she challenged him to a battle, brought a whirl of excitement within her core. Facing off against a fellow champion sounded worthwhile to test her skills and see who would come out the stronger trainer.

For now, she pushed the thought away and tuned into her loving family's conversation, feeling perfectly content with how her life was at that moment.

* * *

**I have this headcanon that everyone in Cynthia's family loves tea.**

**Fear not, dear readers, Heather is the only OC that is going to appear in the story. Actually, I don't even know if you'd consider her an OC since in the games, in her grandparents' home there's a sprite of a Lass, I think, who refers to Cynthia as her 'big sister'. It's too bad they never really elaborated on her presence, not even in the anime! Nonetheless, I know OCs are a hit or miss on this site (again, would she even be considered an OC?) so she'll only be appearing in a few chapters, don't worry. **

**And I know, I know. No interaction between Steven and Cynthia? This one (and the next) is more **_**implied**_** than direct lolishotashipping. I'll only have a few of these scattered around in the upcoming chapters, though, so don't lose faith!**

**Also, I did this with another fic of mine but I challenge any of you to tell me how old you think Cynthia is! I never said it directly but there **_**are**_** hints in this chapter that should help. ;) There are no prizes…I just want to see what you guys come up with, haha!**

**Whew, what a long A/N. I'll be sure to keep these short in the future. Thanks for reading!**


	4. Hate

_Hate_

* * *

Being born into a well-known family around the business world, Steven had to learn how to put up with a lot of the attention his presence would stir up in the media. From day one of his life, his name had been plastered on the front page of Hoenn newspapers as the newborn heir to the Devon Corporation. And since his father was the president of the company, who was pretty famous himself, Steven had learned that the public eye could be either majorly supportive or agonizingly scrutinizing towards him (or any famous person, for that matter). Every little thing his father did for his company was reported on the news, and while most of the time it would be praise of how well the business company was growing, during the times where his father might have fallen short with his innovative products was the time the media was not afraid to question his father's decisions as if what he was doing would bring forth his downfall.

Steven found it utterly ridiculous at times. His father, however, had told him when he was younger that there would always be people out there to judge you, no matter how much you hated it.

Nevertheless, for as long as he could remember, he learned to ignore whatever the media had to say about him and his life. He didn't need for journalists to comment on every decision he made and he was perfectly content with that. Of course, being the Hoenn champion, he knew he was spoken about quite often but with his experience as the son of Devon's president, he knew perfectly well with how to deal with them, on-screen and off-screen.

However, he could not fathom how unbelievable the latest rumours surrounding him right now.

Wallace had mentioned it casually one day. Upon hearing the 'news', Steven had deadpanned and had to ask him to repeat what he said.

"Apparently, it appears you have a 'secret relationship scandal' buzzing around your head this very moment," the water-type gym leader responded as he and Steven sat in the backroom of his gym.

Steven sighed heavily. "Newspapers again?"

As if on cue, Wallace held up a newspaper in front of the champion's face with the headlines blaring in bold letters: _STEVEN STONE, FINALLY SETTLING DOWN?_ Beneath the headlines displayed a picture of him in casual clothes wearing rather dark shades as he stood in front of the door to a house with a box of chocolates and flowers in hand. He recognized the scene immediately to be the time he went to visit his mother on behalf of his father who wanted to surprise his wife with the gifts.

"'_Finally_ Settling Down'?" he read the front page title with blasphemy. "How old do they think I am?"

"Don't be surprised if they think you're thirty," his friend replied simply, tossing the paper down on his desk. "These kinds of news outlets never do their research thoroughly."

"Those chocolates were for my _mother_, for crying out loud." Steven grimaced. If they were a news company, wouldn't it make sense to do their research beforehand instead of spewing out lies to the world? How did stories like these even make it to official newspapers without the proper evidence? "I'm not even going to bother reading that thing," he announced with distaste evident in his tone.

Wallace smirked. "Good, because it says that apparently you've been seeing several women behind their backs all at the same time." He chuckled at the horrified expression Steven was sending him. "I'm kidding! It's just one person, really."

Steven was afraid to ask who it was but Wallace beat him to it. "It's that girl who gave you that letter back in that cave a few years ago."

He had to think for a moment. A few years ago he had gone to Dewford Town for another excavation trip where he had unexpectedly met a young teen bearing a letter from his father. Why his father didn't just call him at the time was beyond the Hoenn champion. All of a sudden, his cerulean eyes widened in recollection of the memory and who the newspaper was talking about. "_May_?"

Wallace snapped his fingers in recognition of the name. "That's the one!"

"What the…she's only thirteen or fourteen years old!" he exclaimed in outrage. "That would have to make me -" His voice suddenly trailed off but his friend finished the sentence for him in an all too off-handed tone.

"A child stalker?"

Steven frowned. It was a somewhat subtle way to put it, at least. "Yes, that," he responded quietly, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. "People aren't going to believe it." How could newspapers think a story like this could ever sell? It was all downright lies!

"Unless said people are completely dense, then yes, you are correct on that one, my friend." Wallace stood up from his seat behind his desk and stretched his arms. He walked over to the champion and patted him on the shoulder when he noticed his bitter expression. "Hey, no need to be sad."

"I'm not, I'm just angry," Steven muttered as he stood up slowly, following Wallace out the door and into the main battling area of the gym. The air immediately turned frigid when he stepped into the enormous room caused by the pool of water being in the middle where gym battles took place. From where they stood, they could see several of Wallace's pokémon swimming around without a care for what was going on in the world. If only life were as simple as that of a trainer's Pokémon, he wouldn't have to worry about situations like these.

Wallace walked up to the edge of the pool and watched as his majestic Milotic glided through the water to appear in front of him. He stroked its head with the back of his hand and said to Steven, "I thought you didn't care much of what the media said about you?"

"I don't," was the response he got.

"Then what's got you so worked up about a misunderstanding like this? Afraid it'll be heard about around the world?"

Steven sighed. "News like this always makes it around one way or another," he said, playing around with the Pokénav he took out from his pocket, a product given to him by his father to test out its latest features – text messaging.

"Or are you just afraid it'll reach the ears of a certain _someone_?" Wallace wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Steven only eyed the gym leader suspiciously. "What? Who?"

Wallace rolled his eyes. Either Steven was trying to avoid the question or he was too dense to realize what he was implying. He went for the former. "You know perfectly well who I'm talking about," he said to the champion. Steven just continued to stare in confusion. "For crying out loud, you were practically smiling like an idiot when she said goodbye to you at the gala!"

Steven's eyes widened in alarm. "Whoa, what?! That's not true! I don't…I don't even know her that well!"

The water-type master shook his head in disapproval. "Playing the denial card, I see."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Wallace." Suddenly, Steven's Pokénav started to vibrate. It was a message from his father. "Anyway, I need to leave now. My father is expecting me."

Wallace waved the champion off. "Fine, fine, I can see when my presence is not needed anymore," he said in a mockingly hurt tone. "Deep down, you know my words are true, Steven."

Steven rolled his eyes and started to head for the exit. "I'll see you later, Wallace."

He didn't leave fast enough, however, to avoid hearing the water master shout one last thing to him, "You're in denial!"

"I'm not_!_"

* * *

**He totally is in denial. He just doesn't know it yet, haha!**

**Again, this prompt was more **_**implied**_** lolishotashipping (I mentioned it the last chapter), BUT I can assure you the next one is finally going to have some interaction, so be sure to look out for that. **

**And to those who guessed Cynthia's age last chapter, you're all correct! She is indeed twenty-three based on the hints I gave. A pat on the back to those who guessed correctly! It wasn't that difficult, right? :) Anyhow, thanks for reading!**


	5. Touch

_Touch_

* * *

The day she arrived back in Hoenn was a warm one. Cynthia was glad that she changed out of her usual black jacket into a light blue, sleeveless shirt to prepare herself for the new weather. Sinnoh was usually cold all-year round; coming to Hoenn was a nice environment change for her since she'd been living in the cold region since the day she was born. She was aware that Hoenn was similar in land structure to that of Sinnoh, being away from the main land and instead isolated in the middle of the ocean. It was just a shame that the two regions produced two different climates despite the similarities.

Stepping off of the ferry that got her into Lilycove City's port, she drew in a deep breath to take in the salty scent of being by the sea. Enjoying the view of the ocean before her, she was oblivious to a fellow passenger coming off the boat in a rush who roughly pushed her aside. She stumbled forward a bit, and watched as the man headed straight for the railing of the dock to vomit into the ocean. Seasickness was something she rarely suffered from but watching other people suffer from it usually made her shiver in revulsion.

"Oh dear, I sincerely apologize for my husband."

Cynthia turned around to see a middle-aged woman giving her an apologetic look.

"I was hoping we could just go to the art gallery right after we got off the boat but…" The woman sighed and shook her head. "He's prone to seasickness, you see," she explained and then looked her over once. "You're not hurt, are you?"

Cynthia shook her head and smiled kindly. "I'm fine, and I understand, seasickness happens to everyone," she told her.

The woman looked like she was about to respond further until she looked behind the young champion and realized her husband was still retching into the open ocean. "Oh my, I better help him. I'm so sorry, again!" she said and left right after.

Cynthia exited the port area soon after, pulling her suitcase along with her. She was lucky to have found some time off from her new champion duties and found it in herself to decide to explore a new land, hoping to learn some history tidbits along the way. And after hearing much about the super-ancient pokémon, or the weather trio as many Hoenn natives called them, that once walked the face of the earth particularly in this region, she was more than convinced that Hoenn would be her first choice to visit.

Since the rest of the day was not entirely planned, she recalled the woman mentioning something about an art gallery in the city. _Maybe I can learn something there_, she thought as she hailed a taxi that would take her to the Pokémon Center.

* * *

"Dude, this painting…what is it?"

"I can't really tell. Is it a pokémon?"

"The title says, '_The Animal'_. What's an 'animal'?"

"Beats me."

The painting in question appeared to be of a creature in a jungle having similar features to an Arcanine, minus the white mane of fur, the extended jawline, and fluffy white tail which was instead replaced with a long, skinnier one following the same pattern of black stripes along its length. Steven studied the painting with great curiosity, contemplating if it was even real since he could not recall Arcanine ever living in jungles before.

"As you two can see, the artist was trying to convey a creature that this world has never seen before. Thus it is not a pokémon."

The two men, Steven and Sidney, gazed at their fellow companion, Glacia with wild eyes. They were simply stricken with amazement at how she was able to deduce what the artist was thinking from looking at the picture alone.

"Whoa man, how'd you figure that out?" Sidney asked her.

Glacia rolled her eyes, however, and pointed to the description box underneath the title. "It tells you right there," she said with an exasperated sigh. "Honestly, you'd think two of the strongest trainers in Hoenn would have a brain or two."

Steven coughed. "My creative side has never actually flourished nor has it been one of my strengths," he openly defended himself. "I just like to find rocks, really."

"Of course, how foolish of me," she replied sarcastically and then turned her sharp gaze towards Sidney. "What about you? You have a thing for art, don't you?"

"I have a thing for rock music," he corrected her. "But music and art…they're nothing similar!"

Glacia was glaring at the clueless man now. Steven had to suppress a laugh, knowing Sidney was going to face her wrath right about now. "Music _is_ art, you fool!" the ice-type trainer exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. "Why do I even bother? Come on, let's just look at the next painting. And please, try to keep any thoughtless comments to yourselves?" She was looking at Steven as well now, narrowing her eyes at him while he only held up his hands in mercy.

Despite her normally calm exterior (for some reason she just happened to be a bit snippy that day) whenever Glacia got fired up or angry, her stare was enough to make you freeze in place as she berated your ignorance. The champion learned early on to avoid getting on her bad side, especially when it came to her own hobbies and interests. For this reason, he had to question why he tagged along in the first place, knowing she was in a rather bad mood from the start. It was not a very wise decision if he was intent on having his head eaten off by the time he got home. He also knew Sidney was not at all interested in coming to the art gallery but after having lost a bet with the ice-type trainer, the red head was forced into coming as punishment.

Steven was following right behind the two when something in the corner of his peripherals caught his attention. Looking around, he thought he had seen a blur of long, blonde hair pass a pillar on the other side of the room. He brushed the thought off, thinking his mind was just desperate to find something better to catch his interest. But as they continued walking, he swore he had seen the familiar sight in his peripherals again. To his better judgement, he decided to investigate.

"Hey, uh, I'm going to go look on that side for a bit," he called out to his fellow League members. Glacia looked at him and nodded.

"Very well, come along then, Sidney." She held the red haired man by the arm and dragged him along with her. "I'm going to teach you a thing or two about the art gallery."

"W-What? Hey, don't just leave me, Steven!" he called out to the champion. "Steven!"

But the champion was already well on his way across the room, heading to where he thought he had seen the familiar head of blonde hair. Cerulean eyes swept the room carefully, looking around the walls where paintings hung and, disappointingly, did not find what he was looking for. Perhaps he had just imagined what he thought he had seen. It would have to be purely coincidental to find Cynthia in the art gallery of all the places she could visit in Hoenn.

And purely coincidental it was.

When he came to the end of the room, peering behind one of the walls, to his mild surprise, he found a platinum-blonde haired woman with her back to him, studying a painting in front of her. His heart thumped wildly in his chest upon seeing her there.

"Cynthia?"

She turned around then, just like the day he met her, and immediately her eyes lit up in recognition. Her hair was down to its full length this time around, cascading down past her waist and with black ornaments fastened into it. He couldn't help but notice how even in casual attire she was still able to maintain an enthralling appearance.

"Oh! Mr. Stone!" she greeted him with surprise evident in her tone. "I wasn't expecting to see you here."

He chuckled. "I should say the same with you, to be honest," he said. "It's nice to see you again, though. When did you get here?"

"I just arrived earlier today, in fact," she admitted a bit shyly. "I came by the art gallery to check out if I could learn a thing or two about Hoenn's ancient history. And I must say that coming here has already shown me a few things."

Steven glanced at the painting she was studying before and, this time, he recognized the scene easily. "'_The Great Battle'_?"

He observed the painting before him. It depicted of the famous battle between the two super-ancients, Groudon and Kyogre, fighting on land and water respectively. The legends spoke of how gruesome and intense the battle was as they ultimately threw the world's climate off balance with pounding rain and scorching sunlight in order to dominate the other. It was a wonder how the earth could have withstood such impact while it happened until it was discovered, from ancestors, that the third super-ancient, Rayquaza, was responsible for quelling the battle between the two behemoths. In the aftermath of the battle, the land masses that Groudon had raised formed the mainland and the water Kyogre had provided with, formed the ocean.

The story was passed on for generations; Steven knew every single detail by heart after studying how the world's land masses came to be in his schooling years.

"So you're looking into the legendary weather trio?"

Cynthia nodded. "I find they are just as intriguing as Sinnoh's creation trio."

He smiled. "Well they _are_ the creators of our land and ocean."

As they continued to chat, out of the corner of his eye he noticed a rather large, crowd of people, most likely a tourist group, about to walk past them. He didn't pay much heed to them until one man had accidentally bumped into Cynthia from behind rather roughly, causing her to stumble forward suddenly. Steven reacted quickly and caught her before she fell.

The blonde cursed under her breath when felt herself falling forward, almost right onto Steven if not for his fast reflexes. The matter of the situation didn't hit him until seconds later when he realized how close they were to one another in that moment. His cheeks turned a shade of pink. His hands were holding her above her elbows while hers were clutching his forearms to steady herself from the sudden impact. He couldn't help but think of how soft her skin was to the touch and how he could smell her light perfume from the proximity they were in.

"A-Are you alright?" his worried tone made her peer up at him. She quickly moved out of his arms, recomposing herself at what had just occurred though he didn't fail to notice the slight flush on her cheeks similar to his own.

"Yes, I'm fine," she told him, obviously a little embarrassed. She sighed. "That's the second time that's happened today."

He raised a brow. "Second time?"

"Someone knocked into me by the port earlier as well," she explained, brushing off any wrinkles off of her clothes. "Sorry about that."

He shook his head. "It wasn't your fault, don't worry about it," he assured her with a smile. His cheeks were still burning from the unexpected moment. She, however, appeared to still be a little shaken from what had occurred. To ease the tension in the air, he cleared his throat and asked her, "So about that battle you were asking about…?"

Cynthia raised a brow as her eyes immediately brightened with interest. "Yes?"

"How about it?"

She stared inquisitively. "Right now?"

"Er…" He paused suddenly then continued, "That is, if you'd like to. I know you came because you wanted to check the art gallery first –"

"Oh no, I'm fine with it," she interjected, smiling. "I'd be happy to finally battle you."

* * *

**Not sure if they'd mention anything about animals in the Pokémon world since their animals are pretty much the Pokémon themselves. For the sake of the story let's just pretend they don't know. By the way, the painting Sidney and Steven were looking at? Yeah, it was a tiger. ;)**


	6. Triumph

_Triumph_

* * *

He led her to a small area that was properly fitted for battles in a secluded section of the park just outside the gallery. He knew the area well enough to know that people passing by were unlikely to come by to observe and watch their battle. A battle between two champions was bound to be a hot topic to witness, especially in public.

They decided to use three of their pokémon; it was supposed to be just a friendly match, after all. He left the decision of what pokémon she was going to use to be a surprise to him to make the battle a little more interesting. In the end, he chose to use his Metagross, Aggron, and Archeops. They hastily took their positions, standing on both ends of the grid marked floor where the battle would take place. He watched as she took her stance at the other end, a hand on her hip and a calm smile gracing her lips. Most likely, the battle was going to be a good one.

"Ladies first," he called out to her, grinning. Still smiling, she flipped her hair over her shoulder, and nodded.

"My pleasure," she said, ready to throw out her first pokémon. "Go, Togekiss!"

She threw the poké ball into the air and out came the Jubilee Pokémon, soaring a few feet into the air before descending to the ground. Steven was in awe at seeing the flying pokémon. He had seen many flying pokémon before but not one quite as graceful as Cynthia's Togekiss. It looked back at him with steady smile. If it was an aerial battle she wanted, it was an aerial battle she was going to get.

"Go, Archeops!" The once fossilized pokémon appeared out of its confinement with an aggressive cry. It hovered in the air, glaring at its opponent, ready to win and come home a victor for its trainer. Her Togekiss, however, barely changed its expression at the intimidating glare its enemy was trying to send.

"I take it I'll have the first move?" Cynthia called out from the other end. Steven nodded and gave a thumbs up. "Alright then, Togekiss, start off with an Aura Sphere!"

Togekiss began charging up the attack its trainer commanded, intent on causing serious damage to its opponent. The bright blue orb forming around its mouth came flying towards Archeops without warning, but the rock-type was quick to react, flying out of the way just at the last second.

"Use Quick Attack!" Steven commanded and with a flash, it appeared in front of the Togekiss and hit it dead center in the chest. A surge of pride spread through the attacker as its opponent staggered back.

Cynthia barely flinched from the impact her pokémon had taken. "Let's take to the skies, Togekiss," she said coolly. "Air Slash!" The Jubilee Pokémon flew into the air and began flapping its wings with great force causing white streaks of rushed air to head straight for the opposing team. Archeops didn't have time to react as quickly as before, taking the attack directly as multiple streaks collided with its body, causing it to flinch. Although the pokémon was fast, it had frail defenses and the recent attack left it struggling to get back up quickly. Togekiss were known for their strength in special attacks and this one certainly showed just how much power it was capable of owning.

In the end, Archeops managed to fly up again to keep levelled with her Togekiss. It gave a shrill caw to let its opponent know it wasn't over just yet. Her Togekiss' smile was long gone by now, however, and was replaced by a furrowed brow of irritation from the persistence of its opponent.

"Thattaboy, Archeops," Steven praised his partner for displaying its strong will. "Now, use Acrobatics!"

Archeops, displaying its blinding speed once again, charged for the bigger pokémon. The attack it was about to perform left it flying through the air, appearing like it was leaving copies of itself as it darted from one spot to the next, until it reached its target, hitting it precisely once more.

The two flying-types continued their fight up in the air. Archeops was capable of getting in several fast attacks to hit its opponent, and managed to dodge many of Togekiss' Aura Spheres and Air Slashes. However, whenever an Air Slash made landing, the fossil pokémon would flinch each time, giving its opponent an opportunity to get in another hit. It unnerved Steven, but he wasn't going to give up. He had the type advantage here and often called for Stone Edge, hoping that the incoming rocks would manage to hit its target. A few of them did, though it wasn't enough to cause serious damage to the Togekiss. It had the tendency to make a sharp dive towards the ground when the attack was commanded and the projectile rocks would only land against the earthy terrain instead.

His Archeops cawed in anger and Steven called for it to use Acrobatics once more. When it was at a close enough distance, the feathered pokémon charged and used all of its power to slam into the opposing flying pokémon. Togekiss felt the impact, this time around, and it flew backwards for a moment until Cynthia shouted at just the right timing, "Water Pulse!" to which it was able to recover quickly.

It opened its mouth, a ring of water forming which was promptly released in a matter of seconds. Being half rock-type, the attack wasn't going to be to its advantage and once the water move made landing with its high incoming-speed, the bird-like pokémon was sent crashing to the ground, this time out for good.

Steven called back his partner after that. "You fought bravely, Archeops, take a long rest," he said to it. He took out his next poké ball containing his Aggron but looked at Cynthia for a fleeting second to notice her calm expression, no longer showing him her smile. Things were getting interesting.

He threw his next poké ball. "It's your turn now, Aggron!"

Like its teammate before it, his Aggron came out with a deafening cry of aggression. This was one of his pokémon he knew would not go down so easily.

"You ready, bud?" he asked it and was answered with a groan and a nod. "Then let's show them what we've got."

From the other end, Cynthia observed the strong bond between Steven and his partners. She admired those who treated their pokémon not just as mere battlers, but as friends, as well. She could sense the love his Archeops had held for its trainer for believing in it to keep fighting. Many trainers she had faced in the past never showed quite the same passion like Steven did for his team. Battles like these were ones she would remember and look back on, no matter if she lost or won.

Her Togekiss continued to hover in the air, not daring to give its opponent the advantage by keeping low to the ground. It certainly seemed like the Iron Armor Pokémon was at a disadvantage here, but alas, Cynthia avoided making assumptions before the match even started. She didn't quite know what Steven had up his sleeve.

Steven took in a deep breath and commanded, "Use Metal Burst."

Aggron stomped on the ground, keeping its balance steady as a white ball of light charged up from its mouth, which got bigger by the second as it absorbed energy it needed, and then released it with a loud roar. It headed straight for Cynthia's Togekiss who managed to dodge the ball of light coming for it. Cynthia smirked, and shouted, "Aura Sphere, Togekiss!"

Togekiss readied up the same attack it used on its former opponent, this time appearing like it was going to hit it with ease.

"Protect!"

Steven's Aggron steeled itself for impact of the incoming attack by creating a bright green barrier around it to shield itself. The blue ball struck the barrier, only to burst and leave the pokémon inside unscathed.

"Now use Head Smash!"

A look of confusion crossed Cynthia's face when she heard her opponent command the physical attack. Her Togekiss was still hovering several feet in the air. How was it going to reach it? She watched as the Aggron, started running across the battlefield with a sudden burst of speed and orange light forming around its sharp head. There were no signs of it appearing like it would get near her pokémon at all. What exactly was he playing at?

Her question was answered when she suddenly saw the steel-type kick off the ground, leaping upward and was nearing her flying pokémon by the second. She was on the verge of calling out for her Togekiss to fly higher but it was too late. Aggron slammed straight into the opponent sending it crashing to the ground like its partner, Archeops, had done before. Togekiss was unable to battle.

Aggron landed with a thump, roaring with satisfaction on avenging its fallen comrade. It locked eyes with Cynthia who merely smiled back, clearly in awe at the impressive spectacle that just happened before her.

"You did great, Togekiss," she said as she called her pokémon back. Steven was smirking in satisfaction. The battle was only just beginning. "Go, Lucario!"

The rock maniac's eyes brightened at the prospect of her steel-type pokémon entering the battlefield. The blue fighter was significantly smaller than his Aggron, but just by looking at its body structure, he knew it was going to be fast. _A fast and strong steel type_, he thought. _This should be interesting._

The two steel types seemed to match each other in strength, surprisingly, though one was clearly faster than the other. Almost every attack thrown at it, Lucario managed to evade most of them, except for a near miss Brick Break and a rather strong Head Smash that was able to slide past its defenses, hitting it dead on. Aggron sustained a few hits as well from the opponent. The blue fighter had attacked with a Close Combat and a Dragon Pulse, both managing to land directly, but Aggron was still standing. The Close Combat had left a stronger dent in it than its Dragon Pulse. Breathing heavily, it roared in rage at hardly being able to land a hit and Steven could sense his partner's growing fury.

"Hang in there, Aggron," he told it, trying to calm its behaviour. "Let's just give it all we got, no matter what the circumstances."

But Steven's heart was pounding with adrenaline, all the same. Byron and Wake weren't lying when they told him Cynthia was not a force to be taken lightly. She was strong and determined, traits he never would have expected upon first glance. Her pokémon shared the same qualities as well, making for the perfect combination of trainer and pokémon. There was a reason she was a champion and he could see why.

"Give it one more go, Aggron," he said. "Use Head Smash once more!"

"Lucario, dodge it!"

Her Lucario evaded the strong collision once again, but Steven saw this coming and shouted at the last second, "Head Smash again!"

Aggron obeyed without a second thought. The fighting-type had out predicted its opponent, unable to move fast enough as the second Head Smash was coming its way, this time making contact with its side. It flew backwards with a pained roar and crashed into the ground. Her Lucario was knocked out as well.

Steven's Aggron roared triumphantly, looking back at its trainer with pride in its blue eyes. Its master felt a similar surge of happiness inside. The feeling suddenly plummeted, however, when it lurched forward, its legs giving out underneath it, and it too fell to the ground with a thud. Steven's jaw dropped.

"The recoil took it out," he heard Cynthia say as her Lucario disappeared from the battlefield in a red flash.

"Of course." Steven shook his head in dismay. "All those Head Smashes were going to bite back eventually." He recalled his partner back into its poké ball and smiled. "I'm still proud of you, Aggron," he said to it before setting it back on his belt.

"That's two for two," she called out to him, holding her final pokémon in her hand. He already knew what member of her team it was going to be.

He grasped the ball holding his prized Metagross inside, his special weapon. It possessed a move that had never failed to bring in the win for him when battling other trainers before, and he was confident that when the right moment came, he could win against her all the same. Smiling confidently, he shouted to her, "Let's get started then. Go, Metagross!"

With a low-humming noise, the steel behemoth he fought countless battles with in the past, came out onto the battlefield. Metagross was one of the few pokémon he owned that stayed calm no matter what the situation. Its calm demeanor helped Steven stay calm as well. A fun battle like this was too good to waste on impulsive decisions. He needed to stay focused with the task at hand.

Cynthia's eyes sparkled dangerously. "Go, Garchomp!"

He was anticipating for this moment to come. When the bright, white light flashed in the air, taking form of the Land Shark Pokémon right after, Steven immediately knew it wasn't going to be easy taking this one down. Her Garchomp took a glance at its opponent and roared but Metagross kept its gaze aloof.

"Keep your guard up in this fight, Garchomp," she told the dragon-type who nodded and kept its stance steady. "Let's use Dragon Rush!"

Garchomp jetted forward, blue streaks of light forging around its body as it prepared to strike its opponent from above.

"Metagross, Zen Headbutt!"

And just as the dragon-type was coming for it, Metagross shot forward as well, ready to head butt its opponent to counter the attack. The collision happened with an explosion of smoke, none of the trainers able to see the condition their partners were in because of it. It cleared away quickly enough to find the two standing before one another, both of them appearing unfazed by the impact.

Cynthia stared intensely at the battle before her. "Garchomp, use Brick Break!"

"Use Meteor Mash!"

Both physical attacks met each other, neither one quite able to dominate the other. Metagross met Garchomp's gaze who was struggling just as equally to get the upper hand, until the steel behemoth let out a loud hum and managed to push its opponent away successfully in hitting it in the face. Garchomp flew backwards but Cynthia hastily called out, "Dragon Rush!" and executed the attack right away. This time, his Metagross bounced back a few feet, flinching at the pain it had received.

And just like in the previous turns against his Aggron and her Lucario, the battle waned onwards, both pokémon showing their equal power against one another and both displaying their will to keep going after all the attacks that managed to land on each other. Cynthia's Garchomp had the ability to take to the skies quite often, which worked to her favor to gain momentum into executing a Dragon Rush at its opponent but also backfired a bit when Steven's Metagross used Psychic to control its oncoming ascent. Similarly, there were a few occasions where the steel behemoth would get close enough to use Meteor Mash but the dragon-type would dodge the attack swiftly and counter it from behind.

It was a beautiful and intriguing sight, as the trainers commanded and watched the two pseudo-legendaries face off against one another, both eager to finish off their opponents with their strong attacks.

They stood across from each other. Her Garchomp was panting while his Metagross appeared just as exhausted though it didn't show it quite like its opponent did.

Steven was smiling at Cynthia from his end of the field. "Looks like we're outmatched, huh?"

She returned the smile with one of her own. "It would seem that way," she replied. "But I don't think we're done quite yet."

Now was the time. He was ready to use the most powerful attack Metagross possessed at this point which would no doubt guarantee the win for him. He knew she was going to give it her all at this time around and if she was going to, then so would he.

However, he certainly wasn't expecting for her to call out the exact same move he was going to command.

And so, in perfect unison, they had shouted, "Use Giga Impact!"

Both trainers were astonished at their opponent's similar order, locking eyes with one another for a brief moment. But both pokémon still did as told, and charged at one another, displaying the same golden aura around their entire bodies coupled with the same amount of power. Again, they collided with a loud bang, forming a cloud of smoke that shrouded the area. The champions weren't sure if their pokémon would be the last one standing. It would take a matter of seconds for the smoke to finally dissipate and when it did, only then would the results show.

The outcome was staggering.

Both pokémon were out cold from the last attack, neither of them moving as they lay on the ground in a heap. Steven took a moment to process what had just happened, completely in shock, before looking over at the blonde who bore the same expression. She couldn't believe it either. It was a draw.

Once they recalled their partners back into their poké balls, Steven met her halfway across the field grinning from ear to ear. His heart still beating rapidly from the heated battle they just had. Even though it was neither an exhibition nor a tournament match, the battle they just had was just as gratifying and intense. He struggled to remember the last time he had faced such a powerful opponent like her that actually gave him a struggle.

He was rather captivated by her battling prowess and the performance her pokémon displayed, at this point. They had worked together flawlessly and he couldn't help but admire her even more. There was so much more to learn about this woman than he would ever have thought.

"What an unexpected outcome," she mused. "I guess I was right in thinking you were a strong opponent, Mr. Stone."

"Indeed, it was an excellent battle. Very exhilarating, at that," he replied. "And please, call me Steven. Every time I think of Mr. Stone, I think of my father."

She chuckled at this. "Very well then,_ Steven_."

Steven looked to the skies, the sun already in its early stages of finally setting for the day. He wasn't expecting for that battle to take as long as it did. "We should probably get to a Pokémon Center and get our pokémon treated," he told her as he started to walk out the way they came. "I don't know about you, but half my team is beat."

Smiling radiantly, she followed after him. "I couldn't agree more."

* * *

**Wow, first time ever writing a Pokémon battle and I have to say, it wasn't easy. I'm so used to just visualizing things that having to write it out in words was quite the challenge.**

**And for those of you wondering, Steven is pretty much around the same age as Cynthia (a year or two older than her maybe).**

**Longest chapter so far, and I must thank everyone who has taken the time to read up to this point. :) Your dedication means a lot to me! Be sure to leave a review on your way out and tell me what you think so far. Thanks so much for reading!**


	7. Wrecked

_Wrecked_

* * *

A lot had happened over the next few months after his battle with Cynthia. For one thing, his father's company was in the midst of creating another usable poké ball that would aid in trainers' journeys. His father had asked him to test it out on the field one day, and even though it was just in its early beta stages, it was proving to be working perfectly. Another thing that happened was the discovery of finally locating the meteorite he had been searching for in Meteor Falls for several months now. It was his biggest accomplishment yet as an avid excavator. The meteorite he had found garnered much praise from many renowned archaeologists and his fellow colleagues from all over. The extraterrestrial rock in question, however, was going to be first taken to his father's company headquarters for further study where it would then be shipped over to the Nacrene City Museum in Unova in the upcoming months. Steven did not mind whatsoever, just as long as he was able to take a small piece with him to add to his rock collection.

The last big thing that happened, however, was the unexpected loss of his title as Champion of Hoenn.

Taken by none other than the teen he had met in Dewford Cave from a few years back (a.k.a. the girl he had been in a ridiculously absurd scandal with that luckily didn't blow out of proportion). She was a strong opponent; he knew the moment her first pokémon appeared on the battlefield. Nonetheless, the battle was thrilling and exciting. His heart was racing during the entirety of the match. Even though he had lost, his pokémon had fought to the best of their ability and he couldn't be any more proud. They were his family. Champion or not, at the end of the day it was the bond between him and his pokémon that he cared for the most.

Though he found himself missing a lot of the Champion duties he would get to perform, he was glad to finally have found the time he needed to pursue his own interests in searching for the next rare stone to add to his collection. He started planning some trips he would take in different regions to explore caves and such practically the next day. However, it was during this day that he received the unexpected phone call.

It was nearing midnight, having spent most of his day holed up in his study observing many maps that were sprawled over his desk. His Archeops stood on its perch in the corner of the room watching over its master. Steven was in the middle of writing something down in his notepad when his landline phone began to ring. Without a second thought he picked up the receiver, holding the phone expertly between his shoulder and ear as he continued to write. "Hello?"

"_Hello, may I speak to Steven Stone?_"

It was a feminine voice that sounded strangely familiar to him. "This is him. May I ask who this is?"

"_Oh, Steven! I hope you still remember me. It's Cynthia, from Sinnoh._"

"C-Cynthia?!" Following his outburst of surprise, the phone between his shoulder and ear had managed to fall on his table with a loud bang. He cursed his unfortunate clumsiness, fumbling to hold it back to against his ear and tried to sound composed in his response. "H-Hello! What a pleasant surprise!" It certainly was. The last time he had spoken or had even seen the Sinnoh champion was the day he battled her and they parted ways at the Pokémon Center in Lilycove City, nearly five months ago.

He heard her laugh, the sound like a sweet melody to his ears. "_I hope I'm not bothering you right now, I tend to forget that the time in Hoenn is a wide margin to the time in Sinnoh_," she said with a bit of uncertainty.

"No, no, it's perfectly fine, I was probably going to be up for another few hours anyway so you're in luck," he said as he sat down in his office chair. "How are you and how may I help?"

"_I'm good, thank you for asking_," she replied. It had been so long since he had listened to her voice. The old feeling of the Butterfree fluttering in his stomach was returning. "_I actually was just calling to see how you were faring because I heard the news. You're not Champion anymore, are you_?"

Of course the news of his recent loss would reach even the ears of those in Sinnoh. Word seemed to travel pretty quickly these days.

"I'm doing okay, actually," he replied honestly, twirling his pen in his fingers. "It was probably about time that I step down and pass on the torch, though, you know? It's been nearly seven years since I started."

"_You seem far chipper about it than I would have expected_."

He chuckled lightly. "I suppose you're right, I have a lot of free time on my hands now," he said. A thought suddenly crossed his mind then. "How are things holding up on your end? Already accustomed to the champion lifestyle?"

He could practically hear her smile through her words, "_These past several months being the champion doesn't feel all that different to before I became one, to be honest. Although, there have been a lot more challenges lately, which is a good thing, I suppose. Battles seem more exhilarating now."_

He smiled. Indeed, he had to agree as he recalled the battle he had with her. Just thinking about it sent his mind in excitement. "It's because you're at risk of having your title taken away every time, I felt the same way in every battle I went into. Though, when it happens, you just have to accept it." He paused. "However, having experienced your battle skills firsthand, I can tell you that you'll probably carry your title for a long time in the future."

"_Flattery, Mr. Stone, will get you nowhere,_" she teased. Steven felt his face flush at her retort and the way she addressed him. "_But thank you for believing in me_." A silence fell over them. "_Anyhow, I should leave you to what you might have been doing before I called. Pardon my interruption, Steven_."

"Please, I don't mind it at all," he reassured her. "It was nice to hear from you again, Cynthia, thank you for calling."

"_It was nice hearing from you as well,_" she said. "_Take care of yourself!_"

Steven grinned. "You too." They said their farewells and he waited for her to hang up. When he heard the sound of a click followed by a beep, he let out a huge breath he wasn't aware that he was holding in. The Butterfree in his stomach were fluttering all over the place, long after the conversation even ended.

Running a hand over his face, he was still smiling when he looked over at his Archeops who was staring back at him curiously from its perch. It had watched its master smiling the entire time (and blushing, at that) while he was on the phone though it could not pinpoint as to why. Steven chuckled and walked over to the ancient bird pokémon.

"Nothing to worry about, Archeops." He held up its poké ball, ready to recall it back inside. "Let's just call it in for the night, shall we?"

* * *

**After writing that long battle prompt, I thought we'd slow it down a little. I bet you're all surprised that Steven's not champ anymore, huh? I had it all planned from the beginning. :) As always, thanks for reading!**


	8. Parting

_Parting_

* * *

"What?! You're leaving forever?!"

Steven sighed for the umpteenth time that day. "For the last time, Wallace, I'm not leaving _forever_," he replied to the flamboyant gym leader. "I'm just going away for a little while to explore what other regions have to offer, that's all."

Wallace crossed his arms and cocked his head to the side. "How long will you be gone for?"

The ex-champion shrugged. He was still unsure about that part. "A few months…maybe a year."

His friend's eyes widened. "A whole year? Are you crazy?!"

Steven smiled faintly at his reaction. "I understand, it's quite a long stretch and you'll miss me, no doubt. I'll miss you too, though, don't worry."

"That doesn't make me feel the slightest bit better, Steven," Wallace joked, "I hope you know that." He then smiled sadly. "Though, I suppose we all have our own paths in life and I know yours is always going to be finding rocks so who am I to stop you from going?"

The rock enthusiast grinned. "Thank for understanding, Wallace."

"I should probably ask before I forget, but where are you headed off to, exactly?"

"I was thinking of taking a boat plane to Sinnoh, actually," Steven answered. Sinnoh held lots of opportunities for an aspiring miner like him. The Underground system was known for its abundance of many rare rocks and stones waiting to be discovered and excavated. Plus, Mount Coronet, the huge mountain in the middle of the region, was bound to hold several mysteries of its own within its cave walls that he would love to explore. For these reasons alone, Steven was immediately drawn to the region.

The past couple of weeks had him busy filing paperwork to buy a villa in Sinnoh in the newly built Resort Area (his father recommended the place for him, though the ex-champion was perfectly content with just finding an apartment or condo to oversee his stay. Of course, his father was keen on having his son living in the finest luxury a region could hold and bought a villa instead, much to his dismay) and preparing for his trip by packing all his tools and items he would bring. He planned to leave the following week and was currently making his rounds of telling his friends and family where he was going. His once fellow league members of the Elite Four and the other gym leaders of the region were surprised at his decision to leave for such an extended period of time but no one stopped him. Like Wallace, they all knew Steven would one day have the urge to travel and explore somewhere else after being in Hoenn for so long. He found this rather touching as they all understood where he was coming from with his plans.

He would be missed and he would miss them as well. But wherever his journey would take him, they knew Hoenn would be his true home.

"Sinnoh, huh?" Wallace nodded as he weight out what could possibly be in store for him there. "I see, I see. You should check out the three lakes over there. I hear they're simply breathtaking to look at and plus all of them have some sort of cavern in the middle, which I know you'd like."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind," Steven said. The water-type master suddenly went silent as a thought wormed its way into his mind. Steven took notice of his sudden silence and raised a brow. "What's wrong?"

"Wait, so you're going to Sinnoh?" Steven nodded. "Isn't that…that's where _she's_ from, right?"

The ex-champion pretty much face palmed himself when he heard his friend. He knew _exactly _who he was referring to. "Yes, that's right."

Wallace's smile was as big as Sootopolis City and growing. He never seemed to have forgotten the night at the gala and having witnessed Steven's conversation with the Sinnoh champion. It annoyed him to no end. A small slip of his words and Wallace was off spouting nonsense about his nonexistent love life. Such an example would be the current situation Steven found himself sitting in right now.

"Oh, this is perfect!" the gym leader exclaimed excitedly. "Steven, this is your chance to make a move!"

Steven flushed a deep scarlet. "What on earth are you talking about? I'm not going to -"

"Don't tell me you're simply not interested," Wallace retorted. "I remember you being all happy a few weeks ago when she called you in the middle of the night after what, five months of not communicating with one another?'

Steven grimaced. He suddenly felt regretful for telling the water-type master what had happened to him that night. He should have known better that the man would mention and tease him with it again.

The two were deeply engrossed in their argument to not have noticed Wallace's butler come into the room and announce, "Sir, your four o'clock challenger is here."

Steven jumped at the sudden entrance of the butler. Wallace stood from his seat, absolutely beaming with excitement from the conversation he just had.

"Thank you, Opollo, I'll be down there soon." His butler bowed and took his leave. The gym leader looked to his friend with an easygoing smile.

"Looks like I've got to take this, but hey, think about what I just said why don't you? I'll see you soon, bye!" With that he exited the room as well, leaving the rock maniac to sigh in exasperation. The door reopened abruptly again and Wallace popped his head back in, "By the way, be sure to close the door on your way out, all right? Last time I forgot to, my Politoed snuck in and used Rain Dance to soak all my papers. Anyway, see ya!"

Steven sunk back into his seat. Knowing Wallace, he was going to make a call to him every single day till his departure, pestering him into doing what he asked. He was not looking forward to it at all.

It was definitely going to be a long week.

* * *

**Two prompts in one day? I guess it's appropriate since the last one was rather short (well, this one as well). **

**This chapter was kind of a doozy for me to write, to be honest. Next one should hopefully make up for it, though. :)**


	9. Cold

_Cold_

* * *

Snowpoint City definitely lived up to its name. Steven rode the boat plane from Hoenn all the way to Sinnoh earlier that day and upon stepping out of the airport, the freezing temperatures hit him like a brick wall. He wasn't used to the cold since Hoenn was always warm. Nonetheless, he kept thinking the sooner he got out of the city, the sooner he'd get to his warm villa which happened to be located in a climate he was already well adapted to – the Resort Area. However, despite his desperation to be somewhere warm, there were a few things he wanted to check out in Snowpoint City while he was there.

Snow was falling slowly when he arrived. The ferry that would take him to the Resort Area was not running that day and so he had to stay at the Pokémon Center for the night. It was a minor inconvenience that Steven didn't mind at all. Instead, he took the time to have his luggage kept safe in Snowpoint's Pokémon Center and planned to venture off into the city for the day. He found that the city was huge for a place built in the middle of the snowy terrain. Many of the citizens he passed by were accustomed to the cold weather and barely batted an eye when a sudden cold rush of wind swept through (Steven even saw a man jogging alongside a Hitmonchan in the cold weather wearing only a light jacket and track pants).

He walked up some stone steps and was in awe when he saw the Snowpoint City Gym before him.

The building itself was shaped like a large igloo, the bricks appearing as if they were real ice chunks carefully crafted to reflect like a mirror. Upon further examination, Steven noticed that it indeed was made of real ice and through the main entrance doors, could see the basic infrastructure of the gym being supported by these ice bricks. He was impressed by the design of the whole complex. According to the worldwide news, the city had recently opened up the newly renovated gym and appointed a new gym leader specializing in ice-types (go figure), who was a young teen named Candice. If it attracted even a trainer like him, then there was no doubt the gym was going to receive many challengers in the future.

Walking around the building, Steven happened to notice a sign pointing up to another set of cobblestone steps that would lead him to Snowpoint Temple. His interest piqued when he recalled the stories that the legendary Regigigas, the master of Hoenn's legendary golems, was said to be in a deep slumber somewhere beneath the temple after moving the continents of the world which created Hoenn and Sinnoh, respectively.

He found himself moving up the stone steps at his own pace. He was hoping for a chance to enter the temple and _possibly_ see for himself the supposed sleeping statue but upon reaching the top, a huge sign stopped him which read: "NO VISITORS ALLOWED" in big, bold letters.

To his disappointment, he was only able to see the entrance of the temple and the entirety of it being connected to a huge mountain. The doors to the temple, however, were wide open until he spotted a figure coming out and the door's slowly closing shut behind them. He was in a slight panic when he realized he probably should start to head down until the person who came out started to come closer and closer. His own cerulean eyes widened once he saw a clearer view of the person's face.

She saw him right away. Her own grey eyes were wide in disbelief. It was a pure coincidence to have been in the same place and area as her that day.

"Steven?"

They were standing face to face now. She wore a thick black jacket with a fuzzy black scarf around her neck to protect her from the cold. Looking down at himself, her attire wasn't as nearly over the top in comparison to the multiple layers of clothing he was wearing. Was everyone in Sinnoh well-adapted to the freezing temperatures?

His ability to speak seemed to fail him. He wasn't expecting to see her here at all, especially on his first day entering the region, and he was a little unsure on how to respond. "Uh…"

"Well this is certainly a nice surprise," Cynthia said with a smile playing at the corner of her lips. "What are you doing in Sinnoh?"

He cleared his throat, ready to speak now. "Er, I took a small vacation, I suppose you could call it – actually, I have no clue how long I'll be staying here. But I just got here a few hours ago, actually."

"Really?" Steven nodded. "Well then, welcome to Sinnoh! I'm sure you'll enjoy your stay." She peered behind her to look at the temple for a moment and then back at him, when she noticed his eyes wander towards the ancient temple doors. "Were you hoping to visit Snowpoint Temple?"

He chuckled, his breath coming out as fog in front of his face. "Yeah, actually, but looks like it's off limits to tourists." He gestured to the tall sign beside them that had made him stop upon reaching the top of the stairs. "But you were just inside, weren't you?"

"Ah, yes," she said, her cheeks flushing pink which he knew wasn't because of the cold. "You see, I was doing a little research of my own, and being Champion grants me access to enter the temple. I'm sure you've heard of Regigigas? It's the master of the Regi trio from your region."

"I know the stories by heart," he said with a grin. "You were doing research on it, I'm guessing?"

She nodded but then frowned replaced her soft smile. "If I were allowed to, I'd love to give you a tour of the temple," she said rather disappointedly, "but it seems that being even the champion isn't going to entirely work in my favour. They like to emphasize the 'No Visitors Allowed' rule here, sorry."

Steven shook his head. "Don't worry about it," he assured her when he saw her crestfallen expression. "I wouldn't want a rock maniac like me to be exploring the place either, to be honest. Who knows what I'd find interesting in there?" She laughed at his rather corny joke, which made him smile with delight. The sound of her laugh brought the Butterfree loose again in his stomach. The sensation was slightly nostalgic to him. Was this how he was going to feel every time he was around her? If it was, he had to admit, he didn't mind the feeling at all.

"Were you planning to go somewhere after this?" she suddenly asked him, her grey eye staring back at him with curiosity.

He had to think for a moment. There weren't many other places in Snowpoint that he was keen on checking out now that he was with the Sinnoh champion. It was rather nice to find a familiar face so quickly upon just entering the city not too long ago. It'd be a shame to have to part ways so soon. So he shook his head and replied, "Not really, no."

Cynthia smiled. "Would you care to accompany me back to the city for some tea, then? There's this café a few blocks down the Pokémon Center that I like to visit to fend off the cold weather whenever I come to Snowpoint." The truth was out. The Sinnoh champ was just as susceptible to the cold as he was. "And by the looks of it, if I may be so blunt, I think you want to be somewhere rather warm right now."

Steven huffed in embarrassment, seeing the fog of his breath in front of him once more. Her words held the exact truth in it. He probably stuck out like a Magikarp out of water dressed up in the layers clothing he wore just to keep the warmth within his body, which hardly did its job since he was still freezing, while he was walking around the city earlier. Of course it would be quite obvious to Cynthia that he was uncomfortable in an environment like the snow around them, although he couldn't blame her for thinking that way.

At his alarmed reaction, she laughed. "I'm kidding, Steven," she told him. "But in all seriousness, I don't mind at all if you tag along. I'd love to hear what you plan on doing in Sinnoh during your stay."

Steven was slightly taken aback by her sudden request at first but he was in no state of mind to turn down her offer. If it meant being able to escape the cold, he was gladly going to accept it. "Sure, why not? I could go for some hot chocolate." He paused and then quickly added, "And I'm not simply saying that because I'm cold."

Cynthia laughed again. "Why, of course. Come follow me." She brushed past him and began walking down the stone staircase while he hastily followed to catch up with her. The snowflakes that slowly fell began to dissipate but Steven hardly took notice. His mind was too preoccupied with thoughts of being somewhere warm and spending time with the Sinnoh champion in the café to witness the change in weather.

* * *

**I quite enjoyed writing this one, more so because they got to interact with each other and writing Steven's cute reaction to her light teasing was funny in my mind so I just had to put it down. :) Hope you liked it!**


	10. Without

_Without_

* * *

The ferry was finally up and running early the next day meaning he would be able to head off to the Resort area straight away. The day before, he had spent a few good hours chatting and telling Cynthia of his plans during his stay in Sinnoh over their hot beverages. He told her about going to The Underground to mine and discover some precious stones as well as eventually going to Mount Coronet. She offered her own input, recommending he see Iron Island located all the way in Canalave City as well as Stark Mountain which happened to be on the same island complex as the Resort Area. There were a lot of great places Steven could find himself engaged with activity that he realized he might have to prolong his stay to what he initially thought. It didn't matter, however, since he felt he was pretty much on a journey all over again like in his younger years; there was no telling for certain the time he would spend in the new region.

After bidding their farewells and thanking her for inviting him into the café (which had a very relaxing atmosphere while they were inside), the rest of the day was spent visiting Lake Acuity just outside the city and taking in the breathtaking view of the sparkling lake. As Wallace had mentioned, the lake did indeed have a cavern floating in the middle of it, but like Snowpoint Temple, visitors were not allowed to enter. It was disappointing at first but overall, the day had been quite eventful and exciting - minus the cold weather, of course.

He was down by the docks the next morning after breakfast, ready to head out of the cold city at last. With luggage in tow, he brought his belongings on board the ferry and anticipated the fact that in the next hour or so he'd finally reach his destination.

* * *

His father loved him too much.

He wasn't joking when he told the ex-champion that he'd buy out (key word: _buy_, not rent) the most luxurious villa on the island. Which also happened to be the biggest, now that Steven looked at it. His jaw dropped in complete awe upon first seeing how large the mansion was from the outside. He didn't need this much space! What was his father thinking?

Alas, he opened the front door and set his stuff down. Looking around and peering into some rooms on the main floor he saw all the furniture still had their protective plastic bags covering them. Although his father was a good man, he was apparently nice enough to have his son put in extra labour going around the whole place to just take off the plastic bags on each piece of furniture. It would take an entire day if he did it by himself.

Steven pulled out several poké balls from his belt and threw them in the air. Out came his Metagross, Armaldo, Claydol, and his new addition to the team, Bisharp. They all appeared with a battle cry, all of them ready to face their opponent until each of them looked around in puzzlement at their surroundings.

Catching this, Steven told them, "I know you're all confused but I have a task set out for you all."

They waited for what their trainer was going to say but it was the last thing they all wanted to hear.

"We're going to do some manual labour around the house to make it a little cozier." His reward were cries of mutual disagreement from all of them. Steven held up a hand to stop them. "Look, I feel the same way, you guys, but as you can see there are bags covering everything and doing it by myself will take the whole day, quite literally." None of them made a peep to this. He smirked proudly; just the response he wanted. "And you're all capable of taking off the plastic without having the urge to shred the furniture to pieces in the process." To that, he was referring to his other pokémon on hand, Aggron and Archeops. "That's why I'm counting on you guys to help me out. We all clear?

They looked to each other with uncertainty but Steven was smart and quick to eliminate any second thoughts by telling them, "By the way, I've got a bunch of Pokéblocks stocked up that are waiting to be eaten as a reward for your hard work." That did it for all of them for they all looked back with new interest in their eyes. Soon, they were jumping with excitement at the bribe he offered them.

Shrugging off his blazer jacket, he rolled up his sleeves and clapped his hands together in determination. "Okay! Let's get started then!"

* * *

The chores around the house took a little longer than he expected, going well into the evening hours of that night. Apparently, he had misjudged just how many rooms there were in the house – five guest bedrooms, each with their own private bathrooms was ridiculous, to say the least!

Steven had his four Pokémon split into two teams. He had Metagross and Armaldo stick with him on the main floor (levitating and carefully ripping the plastic bags off, respectively) while his Claydol and Bisharp tended to the upstairs rooms just as similarly. Later, when they finished on the main floor, he helped the latter two upstairs finish their share of the work. Several hours and several empty Pokéblock cases later, the house was looking like a home finally. Steven found himself thinking repeatedly throughout the day how unnecessary the big place was to accommodate just him and his partners but in the end decided to just deal with the matter later.

He collapsed in the master bedroom after dinner in a heap of exhaustion. He decided he would need to call up the cleaning services the next day and inform them to send several cleaning crews if they wanted to clean the whole house top to bottom with how big it was.

"Never buying a villa again," he muttered to himself.

Steven was just about to fall asleep when he suddenly remembered Cynthia telling him about Route 228 being a place he'd want to check out, which he planned to go to the next day. Reluctantly, Steven stood up from the bed and took out one of the many maps of Sinnoh's terrain from his backpack. He laid it flat against the empty table in the corner of his room. Looking at the layout of the Battle Zone island, he saw that there were many hills and such – in particular, Route 228 had a lot of them. He recalled the Sinnoh champion telling him the area was susceptible to sandstorms but this time of year, the sandstorms weren't as difficult to trek into. He could easily memorize the layout and discover for himself what the rocky terrain had in store, but instead he decided he would feel much better if he had someone tag along with him. Not just his pokémon, but preferably someone who knew the area well.

She had given him her number the day before (much to his surprise) and told him to call her anytime he needed assistance during his stay. Now sounded like a perfect time for just that. He punched in her number into the landline phone but was suddenly hesitant to press the call button.

Was this a good idea at all? Perhaps she would be too busy tomorrow to take the time and show him around, anyway, so why bother trying? Plus, he felt a little selfish for asking her to help him.

Then again, he didn't know that for sure and so, he pressed the button and held it to his ear. Almost wishing that she wouldn't pick up, he counted the number of times it rung before she would. She picked up on the second ring.

"_Hello?_"

"Cynthia?" His throat felt a little dry at the moment. "Hi, it's Steven, sorry for calling so late like this."

"_Oh hello, Steven!_" she said in a soft tone. "_And i__t's fine, I wasn't going to retire for the night just yet, anyway. I assume you're all settled in the Resort Area by now?_"

"Yes I am, actually," he replied with a sheepish chuckle. He was tempted to tell her about having his pokémon being dragged into the mess his father put him in but decided against it. Instead he got straight to the point. "Anyway, I wanted to ask if you'd do me a big favour, if you're not that busy, that is."

"_Ask away._"

He took in a breath, hoping for the best. "Would you be willing to come with me to Route 228 tomorrow?"

* * *

**Another little prompt I found enjoyable to write, haha! Not much interaction in this one (it's another **_**implied**_** chapter), but fear not, the next update will no doubt have a lot more. ;) **

**But just a heads up, the next several updates may be a little slow b/c school is going to be keeping me busy all week. If I could, I would choose to just write all day but the world is a cruel, cruel place sometimes... **

**Thanks for reading!**


	11. Inspiration

_Inspiration_

* * *

The hike through Route 228 wasn't so bad. Cynthia had certainly been through worse terrain before. The sandstorm that often brewed around this area was slightly calmer today but was still raging the lands, regardless. Behind her, Steven similarly didn't look all too fazed by the strong gusts of winds that would blow sand into the air from time to time. Hence the reason why they both were wearing go-goggles Steven provided the both of them with so they wouldn't get sand in their eyes.

Her Garchomp walked in front of them, striding through the sand easily and actually enjoying the sandstorm before them. She noticed Steven staring curiously at her dragon pokémon and explained, "Garchomp's half ground-type, so sandstorms don't affect her at all."

She could tell he was impressed. Even she was perplexed upon first finding out the dragon pokémon's mixed typing. Looking at the blue pokémon she would have guessed it to be a dragon-type but certainly not a ground-type mix.

Steven then asked, "Wait, it's a 'she'?"

As if on pure instinct, her Garchomp jerked its head towards its master's companion and glared. Cynthia saw Steven flinch back and promptly went over to rub her pokémon's back affectionately to calm it down. "It's all right, Garchomp," she murmured softly. Garchomp looked back at its trainer, bowed its head apologetically, and then returned to walking ahead of them. She turned back to Steven and said, "You can tell it's female by the dorsal fin on its back. Male Garchomps have a slight notch in them while females don't." She gestured to her pokémon's back and no doubt, Steven saw what she was referring to.

"Ah, I see," he muttered. "Forgive my careless comment earlier. I didn't mean to sound so blunt." Her Garchomp glanced at him for a fleeting second but then turned back forward. If she didn't know any better, Cynthia could sense that Steven and her pokémon were off to a great start already. Garchomp only ever respected a few people which only included herself, her grandparents, and her younger sister. Steven would have to prove himself worthy if he wanted to earn its trust.

"Don't worry so much about it," she told him. "Garchomp's a little sensitive on these kinds of matters since there aren't many people out there who can differentiate between the two genders of her species. Plus, male Garchomps seem to be more prevalent on trainers' teams nowadays." She grinned at the dragon looking back at her. "It just goes to show that she's one of a kind, really."

With approval, her Garchomp nodded with a proud smirk at its trainer's words of encouragement.

They continued onward for a bit before Steven was curious to ask, "So, where are we going exactly?" She looked at him. "I'm not entirely sure why you suggested I should check this route out when all I see are sand and boulders everywhere."

Cynthia only smiled knowingly. "You'll see when we get there."

Earlier, she had gotten her Garchomp to lead them through the sandstorm to a hidden cave located in the middle of the desert-like terrain, which was why it was at the front. She had frequented the cave before when trying to seek solace from the raging winds and upon exploring the cave further, she had discovered some glittering stones that protruded from within the rock walls. She had tipped it the ex-champion in hopes that he would be able to locate it on his own and see the stones himself. However, in the end, he ended up calling and asking her to accompany him (for whatever reason, she was unsure) to which she gladly agreed. She was curious to see what the mystery stones in that cave were since she had little experience in the art of excavation herself.

It was nearing noon by the time they got halfway through the route. They'd been walking for almost two hours now and though it didn't seem like it, they were making good time so far. Cynthia had heard of stories of people taking almost an entire day to walk from one end of the route to the other – probably because they were walking in circles. The area was pretty straightforward for her to easily memorize where the cave was located.

A little while later she finally saw the small landslide that would take them down to the cave's entrance. Steven went down first, followed by her next while her Garchomp just jumped off the cliff and landed on the ground below them with a light thump from the sand's cushioning effect. Cynthia recalled it back inside its poké ball when they stood in front of the entrance. Once Steven realized she was taking him to see a cave, he laughed heartily.

"A cave in the middle of the desert, huh?" He grinned at her. "Looks like Hoenn and Sinnoh are pretty similar in more ways than I thought."

She raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

"There's also a cave somewhere in the middle of Hoenn's desert that's said to have the legendary Regirock sleeping inside," he replied.

"Well," she began as they walked inside. She took off her go-goggles while Steven walked close to her already holding a flashlight to light the way in front of them. "I'm afraid there aren't any legendary pokémon in here. Just rocks."

He instantly perked up. "Rocks?"

She smirked at his sudden enthusiasm. "If we go a little deeper inside, you'll see what I'm talking about."

* * *

Indeed, once they reached the end of the cave, she pointed to certain areas on the cave walls that had small stones protruding from them which produced different colours whenever Steven shined a light on them.

"These look interesting," he muttered as he surveyed the whole area with his flashlight. "I'll have to excavate them to see what kind of rocks they are, though."

He was beyond amazed at this point, she could see by his delighted smile. He handed her the flashlight for her to hold while he set his backpack down and rummaged through it to find the necessary tools he needed to begin his excavation. If it were left up to her, she would probably have resorted to just having her Garchomp simply hack away at the walls. However, seeing as how they were inside a cavern there was a possible chance that the walls could collapse and cave in from the strong force delivered by the dragon pokémon. It was probably best to just leave this kind of stuff to the experts.

Steven had rolled up the sleeves to his shirt up to his elbows and slipped on a pair of thick gloves over his calloused hands as well as some protective glasses over his eyes. He handed her a similar pair and warned her, "Put these on and stand back a bit." He picked up some sort of hammer tool from his backpack that looked quite heavy with its massive steel-like head. How Steven was able to carry that thing in his backpack (on his _back_, no less) was beyond her. Nonetheless, she did as told, keeping a few feet away from him but also held up the light near the area he was going to dig in. Then, to her astonishment, he swung the hammer into the wall horizontally with great force causing debris and rocks to crumble and fly from the area he hit. He repeated this several times; the sound of the hammer striking the rock wall being the only sound that resonated through the cave and their ears.

When he finished, he set the hammer down and waited for the smoke of dust to clear away. She saw, in absolute fascination, that by hacking away at the walls like he did, it exposed the glittering stones better than before. And by doing so, there appeared to be even more stones hidden beneath that were encased in the rock than she initially thought before Steven hammered away. Though they all were still embedded into the wall, they could see clearly what kinds of stones they were now.

"Amazing," she found herself saying as she moved closer to where he stood. He grinned at her reaction.

"Look here." Steven pointed to a few of the glittering stones and explained to her what they were with great detail. Some of the stones he named she had not even heard of. A lot of them looked all similar, especially the ones with similar shades of colour, but he disagreed and explained that they were completely different stones regardless of their appearance. His extensive knowledge of the subject fascinated and inspired her immensely that there was no doubt in her mind that Steven was quite the admirable man she'd ever had the chance to become acquainted with.

"These are all very pretty," she commented as she shined the flashlight on various stones. "I've never seen so many of them grouped together like this…"

"It's rather uncommon, I suppose, but -" His attention averted elsewhere. "Oh wow, would you look at that," he suddenly said, "It looks like there are a couple of evolution stones in here as well." Steven picked up a smaller tool next, a pickaxe, and began to carefully chip away at the rock surrounding the stones. She recognized a few of them herself – a Moon Stone and a Water Stone among them.

For a while she stood there next to him, keeping the flashlight steady on his work site, and watched as he became deeply engrossed with the task at hand. The way his cerulean eyes held a hard stare as he concentrated and the way he would narrow them whenever he chipped at a particularly stubborn spot set loose a flurry of tingles inside her. His jaw would clench every time he had to use a little more force to get a piece of rock out of the way. At this point, the Sinnoh champion couldn't help but simply stare at him. She found that he was _extremely_ attractive in this new light than she's ever seen him in. Her eyes travelled from his jawline down to his arms and watched how the firm muscles in his forearms flexed ever so slightly when he moved. If only his sleeves were rolled up a little bit higher she could then see the rest of the muscles along his arm –

"Aha! Got it!"

She jumped at his sudden outburst of excitement. He saw this, however. "Sorry, did I scare you?" he asked her with concern.

Her cheeks were probably as hot as the sun when she realized she had been practically _checking him out _the entire time he was working. She couldn't believe herself. _Like a typical schoolgirl_, she mentally berated herself. He could have turned to her at any given moment during those few minutes and catch her simply staring at him, which thankfully was not the case here.

Cynthia tried to recompose herself, attempting – but failing miserably – to calm her rapid heart beating against her ribcage. Her words ended up coming out in an uncharacteristic-like stutter, "N-No, no, I'm fine! Just keep going."

He only blinked once. "I'm done, though."

"Oh."

An awkward pause fell before them.

If he had noticed how red her cheeks were at that moment, he was certainly doing a good job at it making it look like he didn't. And if she hadn't been so busy fantasizing about the man before her, she wouldn't be feeling so embarrassed and ashamed right now. How could she have been so careless?

* * *

**So I changed the pace a little and had this prompt told through Cynthia's point of view instead (it's her turn to feel embarrassed now!).**

**Also, the cave I mentioned is kind of made up, hehe. I realized that Rock Peak Ruins is the only cave located in Route 228 only after I finished writing this. I didn't exactly want to revise the whole thing because it was already done.**

**One last thing! To commemorate reaching 10 chapters so far, I'm going to reveal how many chapters this fic is going to have. Ready for it?**

**There will be...one hundred. No joke, you read that correctly. 100 on the dot. Now you all know why I said I was probably crazy for wanting to do this back in chapter 1! We're a tenth of the way there, people! **

**Thanks for reading everyone!**


	12. You

_You_

* * *

Though the day's events happened rather spontaneously for him, so far he knew he was going to enjoy the rest of what Sinnoh had to offer. From what he could tell, Sinnoh had so many secrets he wanted to explore and he had only just experienced a whiff of what as in store for him.

When he had finished excavating the stones from within the cave they were just in, he had insisted that the Sinnoh champion take half the share of loot he gathered, though she politely refused saying she didn't do much except stand there holding the flashlight for him. He managed, at least, to get her to take a couple of the evolution stones with her, for keepsake, and they were now heading back the way they came along Route 228. Interestingly enough, the sandstorm that was initially brewing prior to entering the cavern had vanished completely as sunset began to take over. They could now see clearly over the sandy terrain without having to use their go-goggles.

The weather was getting a bit cooler now which was a refreshing feeling after having been breathing the damp, humid air inside the cave walls.

"You should probably head to Eterna City and pick up an Explorer Kit there," she mentioned to him as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. She was walking right beside him, fiddling with a Water Stone he had given her. "There's a house just beside their Pokémon Center with a man who gives them out."

"For free?" he couldn't help but ask. From day one he found the people of Sinnoh to be rather generous and kind towards him. Upon his arrival in the Resort Area he was granted many tips and free gifts for no particular reason at all. Then again, there was the fact that he was known as a celebrity around the world to be taken into account to their unexpected generosity. But he tried to think optimistically about the people from this region.

She merely chuckled at his question. "Yes, for free," she answered.

"You people are all really nice," he said amusedly, shaking his head. "I can't even begin to count how much free stuff I've gotten since I arrived."

They chatted aimlessly during the rest of the hike back home. He told her all about the ridiculously big (but extravagant) villa his father had bought him for his stay in the new region. Cynthia laughed when he told her his pokémon were bribed into doing some chores with him the day before just to tidy up the house. In return, she told him stories of what has happened so far in her career as a champion that she never would have expected to happen even whilst she was considered an average trainer. He could relate to her easily because they shared the same background of being a champion.

They laughed together when he mentioned how his fans often became so overwhelmed seeing him in person that they wouldn't be able to say a word or hot to react to his presence – this often happened with the many fan girls he acquired over his career. Even well after he lost his champion title, many people had been at the airport to see him off on his journey. It was overwhelming and a bit emotional for him to see all the crying fans, knowing that many people still loved and supported him back home. She could only feel empathy for him though she knew that she would act the same if it came to her. The people that supported him, whether they be family or complete strangers, had brought him to where he was today and he couldn't be anymore happier.

It took them a shorter period of time to finally exit the desert area and when they did, their feet felt like they were about to fall off from the transition to walking on the sand to the hard ground.

"Looks like we made it," he said with relief. Despite his experience with long hikes up mountains, he was ready to collapse onto a chair or bed any minute now.

"I'm rather exhausted myself, actually," she confessed, running a hand through her hair that somehow managed to keep its smoothness despite the strong winds they'd encountered. She had to definitely be a goddess reincarnated into a human if she was hardly affected by the elements. _Perfection_, he thought but snapped himself out of the thought before he got carried away. She was standing right there, for Arceus' sake.

"Today was fun, though," she continued, choosing not to comment on his silence. "It was a nice break away from some of my champion duties."

"I'm honoured to be of help," he replied with a grin. "I had fun today, as well! And I'll definitely have to visit Eterna City one day and visit the Underground Man you spoke of."

She smiled faintly as her eyes stared down at the blue stone in her hand. "Well, as much as I'd hate to say this, I really should get going back to the Pokémon League," she said, a bit saddened by having to part ways with him.

"It's fine, I understand," he reassured her after seeing her rather crestfallen expression. "Thank you for accompanying me today. I would have been at a loss if you weren't there."

Suddenly her eyes widened. "Oh, I almost forgot!" She reached into the pocket of her black coat and took something out that Steven was unable to see until she opened her hand. "I'd heard of your extraordinary feat at discovering a meteorite at Meteor Falls and I couldn't help but pick this up the other day when I visited Mount Coronet. I got it appraised and it turns out to be a fossil of a pokémon that lived in Sinnoh millions of years ago."

She held it out for him to take which he did and examined it in his own hands. The orangey-hued stone was no larger than the palm of his hand, it was the perfect size so that he was able to curl his fingers around it. And by the looks of it, he was able to deduce it to be an Old Amber fossil. The stone was a clear orange colour that had remnants of some kind of specimen in the middle of it. It was possible to resurrect the pokémon that had its DNA stored it as he had seen his father do so many times before with other fossils.

"I was meaning to give it to you," she said to him. He looked back at her curiously, her grey eye gazing at the stone. "Consider it a welcome present into Sinnoh."

He glanced back at the fossilized amber in his hand. He felt truly honoured to be given such a rare artifice but felt hesitant to be the one to keep it, despite his keen interest to study the stone a little more. "Are you sure you wouldn't want to take it? These _are_ pretty rare…"

She shook her head, the black ornaments in her hair swaying with the motion, and pushed his hand back when he tried to offer it back to her. "I insist that you take it as a gift from me to you. You gave me some evolution stones earlier and I'd like to repay the favour."

"Well if you're sure about it, then thank you." He put the clear stone inside his pocket and chuckled in amusement. "You people really _are_ too nice."

* * *

**The hectic week is finally over, ****thank God**! I can get back to writing regularly now, which makes me happy (and hopefully all of you hehe). Thank you for reading! :)


	13. Confused

_Confused_

* * *

As a child, Cynthia believed that champions were the perfect kind of trainer, that champions had it easy for themselves and were the epitome to what being the strongest trainer was like. She had always wanted to be like the champions themselves which is what fueled her love and passion for battling at such an early age. However, as she grew older she realized that being strong wasn't the only thing a champion displayed but also their care and strong bond with their partners – their pokémon. Without her pokémon she knew she wouldn't have been able to make it this far as a trainer.

Once reality set in that she was the champion, that she had actually beat Rowan, she couldn't be any happier. She hadn't expected her dream to have come true at all.

And though she enjoyed the champion lifestyle immensely, there were often days when she sometimes wished she was back to being an average trainer again. On days like these, she would take time to reflect on herself and if she really had what it took to be a champion. Many people looked up to her, which she didn't mind, but being the centre of attention a lot of the time had frightened her. She was unsure how previous champions before her could handle the pressure so easily.

"You must learn to accept it, and own it," the man she had taken the title of Champion from told her one day when she needed some guidance. "I was in your shoes once, as well, and I can tell you that though things may seem a bit rough right now, know that it will get better later on. I was Champion for twenty years and through that time I've battled countless trainers wanting to take my title for themselves but they could never do it. I realized that it was because they were so caught up in their own greed to be known as the champion that they lacked the faith in their pokémon during the greatest battle of their lives.

"But you, Cynthia," Rowan continued, "you showed me all of the things those trainers lacked, which is what I believe helped you defeat me. I know you have the potential to become a great champion in your career and what you may think is a dead end right now is just a bump on the road that you'll get around."

While the professor's words of wisdom were encouraging, she still felt the anxiety in the pit of her stomach.

"Do I really have what it takes?"

He smiled kindly and nodded in certainty. "If you have faith in yourself, you'll succeed by your own standards. And I think that's what true accomplishment really is."

_Have faith in yourself_, were the words that she kept repeating to herself like a mantra. Even then, she wasn't sure that even if she had faith in herself, what if her efforts proved to be futile?

* * *

"How did you do it?"

The ex-champion of Hoenn looked up at the blonde across from him. He had been in the midst of looking over maps of Sinnoh and Sinnoh's Underground system while sitting outside of a café in Veilstone City when she happened to pass by and see him. It was purely coincidental once again.

"How did I do what?" he asked, as he took a sip from his coffee mug.

"I mean, how did you manage the pressures of being a champion?" She had her arms crossed over her chest as she sat back in her seat, looking rather troubled with the way her eyebrows were furrowed and her expression of indifference. Steven could only guess that she was rather troubled and confused right now.

He had to stop and think for a moment. He, too, had faced a number of troubling times during his career as champion. Occasionally he felt that someone else out there was probably more deserving of his title instead of him since he used to uphold many champion duties in preference for whatever he wanted to do. Other times he felt that he might have won the title by fluke (though, upon re-watching the live coverage of his battle with the previous champion, he won it fair and square). His thoughts all went back to him thinking if he should even _be _the champion at all. However, he knew that there was some factor to helping him make it through and enjoy most of his days as the strongest trainer in Hoenn. He was rather thankful to have been able to experience what it was like.

"I take it that you're worried about something?" he asked her. She merely averted her gaze and sighed. Steven smiled. "Don't worry, you'll get over it, I'm sure." His words left his mouth before he could even realize that they probably weren't helpful at all. When she didn't respond afterwards he prompted her, "May I ask what's bugging you right now?"

Cynthia pursed her lips. "I'm not used to having this much attention on me, to be honest," she confessed to him. "I feel like things would be easier if I were a regular trainer like before."

"That's quite true," he replied with an understanding nod, turning his gaze to his coffee mug. She eyed him with curiosity, not expecting him to have agreed with her statement. "The average trainer doesn't have to represent their region and doesn't have to worry about being in the spotlight like we champions do, which I think is a blessing. Everyone pretty much knows all about you once you become a champion and things may never go back to the way they were before." She was listening intently to his words, making him smile in return. "However, I do think that when you've chosen to accept the role as champion, you gain so many supporters and people who love you for who you are, despite not knowing you personally. The fans and people who looked up to me were enough to give _me_ a reality check that being Champion wasn't so bad, in the long run. Not everyone may agree, of course, but those who did gave me the courage to push on and just accept the duty that I had as the champion.

"As for all the attention placed on you," he continued to say. He was looking directly at her now with a soft gaze. "All I can say is if you act natural and just be _you_, people will love you for it and that in itself is the greatest feeling in the world. I learned from my father that no matter how bad things may seem right now, if you just keep pushing forward then eventually there'll come the time when you are free from your troubles and worries."

"Your father sounds like an intelligent man," Cynthia said with a faint smile. His words were similar to what Professor Rowan had said to her, she realized.

Steven shrugged. "Most of the time, the rest of the time he's just a plain, old goofy guy."

She chuckled at this. "I must thank you for your advice, Steven," she said. "Your words have been helpful."

"Nothing to worry about," he said with a grin of his own. "That's what friends are for, right?"

_Friends_. She hadn't given it much thought but she supposed that they would be considered friends at this point. Their relationship had grown to the point where she found she could easily confide with him for much needed advice on her troubles, like right now. She was rather pleased with this sudden revelation.

"I should still thank you," she tried again but he waved her off.

"Nonsense, you don't owe me anything," he assured her. His cerulean eyes wandered over to the café's menu sitting on the table. "Although…" He picked it up and held it out to her. "I insist that I buy you whatever you want from the menu, as repayment for inviting me to that café in Snowpoint that one time."

"Oh no, I can't possibly – " The Sinnoh champion would have politely declined his offer if not for her stomach suddenly making a rather loud noise. "Er…"

Steven must have heard it too for he started to laugh and continued to hold out the. "Please, I insist, Cynthia."

She hesitated but eventually gave in to the temptation moments later. Steven smiled at her change of heart. Though she felt confused only moments ago, he was relieved to know that he was able to help overcome her troubling thoughts with his simple act of kindness.

* * *

**I was kind of confused myself to trying to figure out what to write for this prompt, actually. :P I think I did okay? Well, thanks for reading anyway!**


	14. Joy

_Joy_

* * *

If there was one word Cynthia could use to describe how she felt inside, it was _troubled_.

The blonde had been sitting cross-legged on the tatami floor in her grandparents' dining room with a pot of tea on the table and her favourite novel in hand. Heather came in the room, carrying her grandmother's Shinx in her arms, and sat across Cynthia to pour herself a cup. The Sinnoh champion observed all of this from her peripherals, finding it rather unusual that her sister was being rather quiet today. Usually her sister's entrances would consist of some bubbly greeting or some kind of loud remark. The champion couldn't help but feel a little suspicious.

She looked up from the page of her book, and noticed Heather wearing a noticeably devious smirk as she met eyes with her older sister. Cynthia narrowed her eyes and asked, "What is it?"

The brunette looked away, still smiling. "Oh, it's nothing really." Her sister was avoiding the question, the champion knew that much.

She placed her book down. "I think I can tell when my little sister is up to something," she said matter-of-factly. "You're acting mighty suspicious right now, Heather, so tell me what you're up to."

"And _I_ think I have the right to deny my older sister from trying to coax any information from me," her sister retorted as she stroked the top of Shinx's head.

"_Heather_."

Heather only laughed at her sister's warning tone. "Fine, fine, if you really want to know, then I guess I'll say." Cynthia stared, awaiting her answer. "I've been hearing a lot of rumours lately -"

She sighed. "I thought I told you not to read anything the tabloids -"

" – that you've been hanging around with that Steven Stone guy a lot ever since he came to Sinnoh," her sister said through Cynthia's interruption.

The blonde stared incredulously, her face starting to heat up at the thought. Of course, she should have known there were bound to be articles somewhere about the relationship she had with the ex-champion of Hoenn. Their meetings weren't exactly kept private from the eyes of others around her, which counted the reporters and the general public. She had to admit that she and the rock maniac had been seeing a lot of each other ever since he had shown up in Sinnoh. Until now, she hadn't been exactly much thought into it but what her sister said was mostly true.

"I-I…yes, that's right," Cynthia replied to the brunette. "What about it?"

Heather's smile grew even bigger, her interest suddenly piqued. "Are you guys like, y'know…?" Though she didn't say what she was implying, Cynthia caught on right away and shook her head quickly.

"Of course not!" She might have said it a bit too quickly. Her cheeks were as bright as a Cheri berry by now and there was no denying that her sister had noticed. "He's just a friend, I assure you."

Completely out of nowhere, their grandfather just happened to be passing by the room when he heard a snippet of the two siblings' conversation and popped his head inside. "Who's 'just a friend'?"

Cynthia stiffened at the sound of her grandfather's voice entering the room. Heather answered their grandfather right away, "Cynthia's been hanging around a guy lately, Grampa." She smirked proudly at the obvious piercing glare the blonde was sending her. This was not going to end well for the champion.

"A guy, you say?" He came into the room just then, obviously interested in hearing more to what the two siblings were talking about. The champion couldn't help but wonder whatever happened to simply reading her novel in peace and quiet before her sister (and now her grandfather) showed up. He sat down and poured himself a cup of tea – she was pretty sure that there was only one cup on the table from the beginning since she was the only one in the room first. "Tell me more."

Cynthia sighed. "Grandfather, there's no one -"

"He's a former champion," Heather answered hastily. Cynthia was starting to get increasingly irritated by her sister. "From Hoenn, to be exact. Cynthia's had the pleasure to be acquainted with him."

Their grandfather had to think for a moment. "Ah, it's that Hoenn Champion who came to visit Sinnoh recently, I presume?" Heather nodded. "He seems like a polite young man from what I've heard. Cynthia, be a dear and bring this man over one day."

Her cheeks were still burning, "But Grandfather, we're not like that at all! He's only a friend, I'm telling you."

"No matter, bring him over anyway," he told her. "In fact, invite him for dinner tomorrow night, I'd like to meet the heir to one of the biggest companies in the world."

"Tomorrow? But that's so soon, he's probably got other things to do."

Her grandfather winked at her. "You'll never know until you try."

* * *

Steven was rather surprised to have been invited to dinner by Cynthia; at her grandparents' home, no less. He wasn't sure what the occasion was for, but nonetheless he accepted her request with delight. He made sure to clean up appropriately as he had just returned from exploring a part of Sinnoh's Underground when he had gotten the call. A fresh shirt and dress pants were in order, as well as a clean shave.

He rang the doorbell to the family's home. Seconds later the door slid open revealing a beaming, long-haired brunette. Beside her, a small Shinx stared up at him with the same expression. From what he could gather, the girl must have been the champion's younger sister she had told him about.

"Hi," the teen said brightly, "you're Steven Stone, right?"

He smiled politely and nodded. "Why yes, and you must be Heather, correct?" He held out his hand.

The young teen's eyes widened in excitement, and proceeded to shake the man's hand. From the way her eyes brightened, he could tell she was rather excited to have met him. He had seen that look many times from fans of his back in Hoenn. "Yes! Please, come in! We've been expecting you."

Steven entered the home and was met by the delicious smell of food being prepared in the kitchen. The aroma was enough to have his stomach grumble in anticipation. He slid off his shoes and followed the brunette through the house. He couldn't help but be fascinated by the interior of the traditional Sinnoh-style house. Many of the rooms had sliding gold screen doors and tatami mats built into the floors. The hallway floors he walked through was of a smooth, dark mahogany wood that was polished to the point where he could partially see his reflection under his feet. Being in the house gave him a warm feeling inside; the atmosphere being rather quaint and relaxing. It was very different to the mansion he lived in as a child with his parents.

"Heather?" They both heard the familiar feminine voice coming down the hall. "I thought I heard the doorbell – ah, Steven! You're here!"

He looked away from his observations of the home and, to his delight, met familiar storm grey eyes with the blonde champion standing across from them.

"I'm so glad you could make it," Cynthia said, smiling at him.

Coming up to stand near her sister, Steven could definitely see the similarities between the two of them. Despite the different hair colours and style (Heather's hair was almost pin straight in contrast to Cynthia's wavy hair), their eyes were similar in shape and colour. One would have to be blind to not guess that these two were, in fact, siblings. Although upon meeting Heather, he found her personality to be widely different from her older sister's. The brunette was bubbly while the blonde was calm and collected. Regardless, they both were polite, which he could only think had come from the way they were raised.

"The pleasure is all mine, Cynthia," he said, flashing a warm smile. "Thank you for having me."

She turned to the brunette beside her. "Heather, why don't you help Grandmother in the kitchen? I'll show Steven to the dining room."

" 'kay," Heather replied and waved at Steven. "See ya, later, Mr. Stone!" She bounded down the hallway right after, the small Shinx following her closely by her heel.

"Your sister's adorable," he commented which only earned him a playful roll of grey eyes.

"Don't get used to it," she warned him. "She's quite a handful, that one."

"You two must be close, though," he said to her as he followed her into the main dining room.

She chuckled. "I guess you could say that."

Upon entering the room, Steven saw a sole dark brown kotatsu in the center of the room with several cushions around it. He took a seat on one across from Cynthia as she poured them some tea. He was amused when he noticed her love for the hot beverage extended even to her family roots.

"I'm sorry I called you over on such a short notice," Cynthia apologized to him suddenly when he picked up his cup. "My grandfather found out that I was acquainted with the former champion of Hoenn, you see, and he insisted you come over to meet you."

"It's really not a problem at all," he assured her. "I would have been dining alone tonight if you hadn't invited me so I appreciate the company."

"I'm glad you think that way," she said to him. She suddenly spoke at a quiet level that Steven found himself having to lean closer to hear. "By the way, don't be surprised if my grandfather asks any personal questions. He tends to do that with people he meets."

He nodded in understanding. "I'll keep that in mind."

Minutes later, Heather came into the room, bearing steaming dishes of food which she set down on the table. "Dinner is served!"

Slowly, the table began filling with dishes he had never even seen before as Heather came in and out of the room with food. Though he was unsure of what some of the dishes were, just by looking at them (and the aroma they gave off) he knew they would be delicious.

Cynthia's grandparents filed in soon after, giving the ex-champion a warm welcome into their home which Steven humbly thanked them for their invitation. To him, they seemed like a sweet, old couple. Cynthia's grandmother was sure to have him eat whatever was on the table and not be afraid to take second helpings if he wanted while her grandfather had straight away asked him questions that he was prepared to answer, as his granddaughter had warned him earlier.

"So, Mr. Stone, how long have you been in Sinnoh for?" he asked him in the middle of their meal. Cynthia eyed her grandfather carefully.

Steven swallowed his food before answering, "Almost a few weeks now, I guess you could say."

"Seen many of the landmarks already?"

"Yes, sir."

"And how do you like the region so far?"

He smiled and glanced at Cynthia for a moment. "Absolutely incredible," the ex-champion replied with earnest. "I'm rather fascinated with the mining opportunities Sinnoh has to offer."

"Ah, so you're a miner, I see," the old man said, nodding as if he were taking in and processing all the information. "You're also the heir to your father's company, correct?"

"Yes, sir," Steven repeated again.

"Why, that's quite the heavy burden," Cynthia's grandmother commented with apprehension. "The company seems very large for one person to have to take over."

But Steven merely smiled. "My father has made sure that I prepare for what is to come if I must take over for him," he said. "I've been learning the ways of the business world since I was young which I'm sure will, no doubt, be of aid to me if the time ever comes."

"Hm, your father must be proud to have a son willing to be his successor to the business," her grandfather remarked.

"I would hope so," Steven said with a small chuckle. "Everything I learned came from him, and though I might not ever be as great of a businessman as he is, he _has_ taught me to handle matters the way I would, to be my own person, I suppose."

"Well, I can see that you are brimming with confidence, son," the old man assured him with a kind smile. "The least you can do is try your best, eh?"

The young man nodded in agreement. "Of course."

Cynthia just listened to the conversation her grandfather and their guest were having, having no real need to put in her own input since her grandfather was taking care of the conversation. It shocked her that Steven answered the old man's questions with ease and showed no signs of being overwhelmed by his eagerness to know more about him. Her grandfather never knew when to keep his curiosity in check, but thankfully Steven was able to handle it very well.

The night drew on as the conversation never left the table. Heather was rather interested in knowing what Hoenn was like from a native to the region, which Steven was more than happy to tell. Perhaps he was raised to do it, but Cynthia noticed that a discussion with Steven was never left dry. The only times he wouldn't were either when he was embarrassed or flustered. She could only think back to the first day they met all those months ago.

In the midst of their meal, Steven had asked to excuse himself to use the washroom. That left the family to themselves for a little while, which her grandfather was glad to take the opportunity a little after the young man left the room.

Her grandfather let out a hearty laugh. "That young man has some spirit, I tell you," he directed his words towards her this time. She felt a sense of relief that he was elated to have met the ex-champion. "Why, if you so wish to Cynthia, I give you permission to date this man."

She immediately deadpanned at the old man's words. Heather was trying her best not to laugh out loud to what he just said. The blonde was at a loss for words, a mix of emotions surging through her.

"What…I-I…_Grandfather!_"

"He is a nice young man, actually," her grandmother added in agreement. "And very respectful, as well."

"Grandmother, please…"

"I like him." At that, Cynthia whipped her head in her sister's direction and stared intensely. Heather didn't react but continued to speak, "Relax. I meant that I agree with them that he'd be perfect for you, sis."

Cynthia's shoulders relaxed a bit afterwards, but she still felt a little tense by what her family had just directed to her. She was still rather confused as to how to proceed with the situation when Steven appeared again moments later. When he sat back down, he flashed her a small smile causing her cheeks to burn up and look down at her plate.

* * *

She was still rather distracted after they ate dessert her grandmother made and when she saw Steven out after thanking her family for the wonderful meal. Unfortunately for her, her grandfather's words still echoed through her head. She supposed it was a good thing that her family (most surprisingly her grandfather) allowed her to date the man if she so wished to. She still felt rather embarrassed by the whole occurrence that she hadn't even noticed that Steven was saying something to her as they walked off the front porch.

Cynthia stared blankly. "Sorry, what was that?"

He smiled slightly. "I wanted to thank you again for inviting me over."

"Oh, right." Her mind was still in a buzz from the events that happened earlier that was still unable to look him in the eye. "No problem – I mean, my grandfather insisted…"

"Your grandfather is an interesting man," Steven said as her words trailed off. "I'm honoured to have met both your grandparents, Cynthia."

"I'll bet," she muttered, still looking away. Suddenly, she felt her hand being lifted by his and she finally looked at him. Confusion was set in her eyes. "What…?"

"You have a very lovely family, by the way," he told her softly. She couldn't bring herself to look away from his cerulean eyes.

"Ah, thank you," she replied, albeit nervously. He was still holding her hand, but she didn't seem to mind at that moment.

And then he brought her hand up to his lips to place a kiss against the back of it. For the second time that night, she felt her cheeks heat up, but not in embarrassment, rather from the affection the man was showing her. The small action left her feeling quite warm inside. "Anyway, I hope to see you again soon." He let go of her hand. Before she could recover from the momentary daze, he was already well on his way off their property. She only stood there watching his retreating figure from behind.

If there was one word Cynthia could use to describe how she felt inside, it was _joy_.

* * *

**Hooray for cheesy endings! I wasn't even expecting this to be quite as long but, alas, it has been done! Thanks for reading!**


	15. Horror

_Horror_

* * *

It had been nearly two months already since he had arrived in Sinnoh, and still there was much to explore and discover for himself. So far he had visited nearly every city on the east side of the region and was currently working his way on visiting the other half. The region was so large that there were many nights where he would have to stay at the Pokémon Center in whichever city he found himself in rather than having to make the long trek back home to his villa in the Resort Area. He would usually finish his task for the day in the evening and having to spend the next few hours or so flying atop his pokémon's back to get to the mansion was a nuisance to even think about. This was one of the exact reasons why he told his father not to buy the expensive house but the deed was done before he got the chance to stop him.

Steven sighed heavily. He was currently helping Cynthia with some of her research purposes in Canalave City's library, when he realized he probably would have to stay at the Pokémon Center again that night. While the Center did house the basic needs he needed, he felt bad for not having stayed at the mansion a lot of the time since he'd come to Sinnoh. His father had spent all that money for nothing, which Steven felt remorse about.

"Maybe, I'll just tell Father to sell it or something," he found himself muttering out loud. He had forgotten the Sinnoh champion was sitting right across the table they were seated at. She glanced up from the old text book when she heard him speak suddenly.

"Pardon me?" she asked him, not entirely sure if he was directing her words to her or not.

He snapped his head up in surprise, finally realizing he had spoken aloud. "Sorry I was just talking to myself," he replied with a sheepish grin.

Cynthia smiled amusedly. "I always tell myself that if I reach the point where I begin mumbling to myself, it means I should probably take a break from my work," she said as she went ahead and closed the book in front of her. "Let's just take a break for a bit, shall we? I'm rather hungry at the moment."

* * *

After eating lunch together, they were on their way back to the library when the Sinnoh champion all of a sudden halted in her tracks.

He turned around when she abruptly stopped walking beside him and raised a brow curiously at her. "What is it?"

"I forgot that I have a small errand that I need to attend to now that I'm in Canalave," she explained in a rushed tone, taking out her phone from her purse. "You go on ahead to the library and wait for me there. I'll only be fifteen minutes or so."

Steven didn't have a chance to ask her where she was going for she took off after that, walking at a brisk pace in the opposite direction as he watched her retreating figure. If it was important, it was probably best to just leave her to it and go back like she had asked.

He walked back inside the library, went to the top floor, and back to the table they had been sitting at earlier. Luckily their books were still there and they wouldn't have had to worry about venturing off through the aisles to find them all over again. It took the duo nearly an hour to search for them earlier since the librarian was out to lunch during that time.

Cynthia had asked him the day before for his input on what he thought about the fabric of time and space being distorted by an ancient legendary pokémon which he couldn't seem to wrap his head around. The idea was rather unbelievable to him but as she continued to explain her theories, he became more and more interested in the topic that he decided to accompany her to the library and help in her research which she gladly obliged. The books they'd taken from the shelves were focused solely on Sinnoh's legends and myths as well as a few history text books they planned to read up on.

Although, Steven found himself feeling rather overwhelmed because he hadn't done this much reading and researching since his schooling days. He wasn't as inept for processing and taking in immediate information as she was which was why he found it rather easy for his mind to wander astray quite often. Nonetheless, if he was going to be of any help to Cynthia at all, he figured he might as well try.

He opened the book to the page he had last looked upon when suddenly the cellphone in his pocket began to vibrate, alerting his attention almost immediately. He looked to the caller ID with confusion but answered the phone right away.

"Father?"

"_Steven! Thank Arceus, I was able to reach you._" It was definitely his father's voice on the other line but the older man sounded rather distressed and panicked judging by his tone. Something wasn't right.

"Father, you don't sound very happy," Steven told him in a hushed tone. He wanted to avoid having someone else in the library shush him for speaking too loudly. "Is everything all right over there?"

He could hear his father taking in several deep breaths, sounding like he was trying to stay calm. Whatever he was going to say didn't seem like good news to the ex-champion. "_Your mother got into an accident this morning_."

His words pierced into him like a knife when the meaning behind them sunk in moments later. "Mother?!" he exclaimed sharply. "Is she okay? What happened?"

"_She's fine, Steven, I'm outside the hospital right now_," Mr. Stone assured him but his tone still presented an air of worry that didn't quell the sudden burst of fear inside Steven. "_A car passed into her lane early this morning and collided with her. I got the call an hour later and I've been trying to reach you ever since she was admitted into the operating room_."

"Operating room?" If his mother had to be admitted into the OR, the situation at hand sounded more serious than he was expecting. Steven was suddenly afraid to ask but he spoke anyway saying, "How bad are her injuries?"

He heard a deep sigh from the other line. "_The doctors are doing everything they can to help but…_"

Steven swallowed the lump in his throat, feeling unsure of what to expect. "But…?"

"_Son, I know you're all the way in Sinnoh right now_ -"

"I'm coming back home, Father," Steven interjected fiercely. "I'll leave tonight if I have to." Without a second thought, he decided he wanted to get to his mother no matter what. If her condition was as serious as his father was implying, then he needn't question whether to stay or go.

There was a momentary silence over the line. He heard a car pass by from his father's end.

"_I'll make some calls right now then and get you a ticket for the first flight here_," his father finally said to him softly.

Relief washed over the ex-champion at his father's generosity and quick decision-making. "Thank you," he told his him. "By the way -"

"Sorry for the wait!"

The silver-haired man looked up when he heard her voice. "That took longer than I expected." She sounded winded as if she had run all the way to the library from wherever she went. "But it's out of the way for now, anyway, and – what's wrong?"

His sudden crestfallen expression was enough to tell her something wasn't right. He still had the phone to his ear as he stared at her and almost forgot that he was previously speaking with his father.

"Uh, sorry, what was that?" he asked as he returned his attention back to the call. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he felt a bit torn for having to leave the region on such a short notice. He spoke a few murmurs of agreement and wrote down a phone number on a piece of scrap paper lying on the table his father instructed him to take note of. Then, "I'll be home soon, Father, don't worry." Once he hung up, he let out a heavy sigh that showcased his apparent anxiety and worry.

"Steven." Her voice made him look at her once again, her eyes filled with concern this time. "Is everything all right? You seem…rather upset right now."

He would probably have to tell her sooner or later since she was already there now. But his mind was in a frenzy of emotions that his words of explanation came out rather jumbled and unclear to her. "I-I need to go back to Hoenn – she's hurt, my mother, and we don't know – I don't know if she's okay so I need to –"

"Hey, hey, it's all right, take a deep breath." She pulled up a chair to sit beside him to try and calm the man down. The situation reminded her of the times when she was younger and would often need to calm her sister down whenever she'd start crying. Though this setting was widely different from what she had experience in, she figured it wouldn't hurt to try and help her friend right now. Steven chose to avert his eyes from her, however, but opted to take in a few deep breaths like she had suggested to subdue the pounding heart inside his chest.

"Sorry," Steven muttered apologetically and tried to explain the situation to her a little clearer this time. "I've just been told my mother's gotten into an accident and things aren't looking so good from what my father just said to me." He paused and shook his head. "I need to go back to Hoenn."

Her eyes widened at this sudden revelation. "You're leaving?" she asked in bewilderment.

"It's something I need to do," he replied and started to get up from the table, his eyes meeting hers. "I'm sorry I can't stay longer to help you with your research, Cynthia."

But she shook her head in disagreement. "Please, don't worry about it," she assured him with a comforting smile. "You've been a great help already."

He smiled faintly at her response. It truly pained him to have to leave her and the region like this. There was still so much to see and discover about the region, but at critical times like this it had to be done without a doubt. His family would ultimately be the first and foremost important thing to him in the world.

She walked him out the library where he prepared to call out his Archeops from its poké ball. However, Cynthia suddenly tapped his shoulder lightly.

"Wait, Steven."

Steven was suddenly taken aback when Cynthia came close and hugged him, her arms reaching up to encircle his neck, in an act of comfort. Never had he expected for something like this to happen, especially from her. From this proximity, he could clearly make out the enticing perfume she would often wear that he grew to enjoy quite a bit. It took all his willpower not to just take a deep breath to fill his nostrils with her floral-like scent (but Arceus, did she smell nice). With slight hesitation, he returned the hug by wrapping his arms around her waist, as well.

It lasted only a few moments until she pulled back, rather flustered. His expression mirrored hers.

"S-Sorry, was that too forward of me?" Her cheeks were a light pink colour when she took a step back from him in slight embarrassment.

He grinned sheepishly and shook his head. "No, it's fine. I - thank you, I suppose." He felt a bit unsure with his response on how to properly react afterwards.

The corner of her lips twitched upwards. "Take care of yourself," she murmured when he released his Archeops into the air.

He found their farewell to be bittersweet when he flew off on his pokémon's back after bidding goodbye to her. It wasn't the first time he had hugged her, but it certainly was longer than he was used to. Though getting to his mother's side was his only priority right now, Steven realized he was probably going to miss the Sinnoh champion a lot more than necessary.

* * *

**Ehehe…I'm not evil for making Steven go back to Hoenn, am I? Wonder what's going to go down now that he's leaving…**

**Thanks for reading! Feel free to leave a review down below! :)**


	16. Acceptance

_Acceptance_

* * *

The air smelled like medicine and rubbing alcohol upon stepping into Rustboro City's renowned hospital. Steven travelled all the way from Slateport City to Rustboro City in less than a day and he was rather relieved to have made it with a good amount of hours for visiting his mother left over. His father called him earlier that day to tell him his mother was going to be all right as the doctors were able to stabilize her condition well enough. He could finally rest at ease.

He stepped out of the elevator, holding a bouquet of white lilies – his mother's favourite – in hand and headed to the reception desk to direct him to his mother's room. After a rather flattering exclaim of recognition upon seeing the ex-champion in person by the receptionist, he headed to where his mother was stationed and knocked gently on the closed door. To his relief, his father opened it and embraced his son in a hug. It felt like eternity since the last time he hugged his father affectionately like this.

"Hey Dad," he said when his father let go. The president's eyes were glistening slightly but no tears fell. _Always the sensitive one_, Steven mused. "Is Mother all right?"

He looked towards the bed in the middle of the room to where his mother lay sleeping peacefully. An intravenous fluid tube was injected into her arm, her head bandaged with wrappings and a few bruises adorning her face. Nonetheless, she was thankfully very much alive and breathing. The EKG monitor beeping in the corner of the room was proof of that.

"She's been sleeping ever since they brought her out of the ER," his father told him as he set the bouquet down on the small table across the room. Lots of other gifts and cards reading "Get well soon!" were already filling up the space giving Steven a heartwarming feeling at the amount of love his mother was receiving. He turned to find his father sending him a soft smile. "It's nice to see you again, son. I'm sorry you had to leave your vacation so soon."

"Don't worry about it," he reassured the older man. Steven walked over to one side of his mother's bed. "I wanted to come on my own to be see her."

His father came up beside him when he saw the look of sorrow in his son's eyes. It was truly strange watching her sleep like this so he turned away and faced the window.

"How bad were her injuries, Father?"

"She nearly broke her tailbone, the doctors told me," he said with slight discomfort. "There was a lot of blood at the scene."

Steven asked, "But she'll wake up soon?"

"They told me possibly in a few hours or so, but she'll definitely make it." They both stayed silent as the EKG monitor's beeps keeping track of her heart rate filled the room. He was scared out of his wits the day before. Looking at her sleeping peacefully managed to erase most of the feeling but thinking to how long it'd take for her to recover still worried him.

* * *

His father had left some couple hours later to tend to some matters regarding the company, though he promised to return shortly. Steven decided to stay, hoping she'd wake up in the next little while or so. He had plans to stay at his family's estate for the time being and had no problem with seeing his father later on. In the past twenty-four hours, he hadn't slept a wink for he was filled with worry the entire time. The jetlag he was currently facing wasn't helping him either since he had gotten used to Sinnoh's current time. He was sitting by the window, head propped up by his elbow leaning against the table to keep him awake, while he occasionally looking back at his mother for any change or signs of regaining consciousness. It rarely crossed his mind that something like this could happen to a family member of his. And when it did, he was unprepared with how to react or take the news. Thankfully the accident wasn't fatal. Steven could only think how lucky his mother was to make it out alive despite the injuries.

After some time, he suddenly heard the bed sheets shuffling. Quickly, he turned his head to regard his mother's moving figure and moved to the seat next to her bed to gently grasp her hand.

"Mother?" His voice was just above a tiny whisper, reminding him of the times spent as a child when he'd run to his parents' bed in the middle of a thunderstorm. Steven rubbed his thumb over the back of her frail hand as he watched her eyes slowly flutter open to reveal the same cerulean eyes he had himself. They closed promptly in adjustment to her surroundings but he waited patiently for her to get comfortable. She'd been unconscious for almost a day and a half now.

With difficulty, she craned her neck to the side only to be met with a sharp pain and throbbing soreness all over. However, his mother finally gazed around the room until they landed upon the face of her only son sitting next to the bed. "Steven…"

He smiled as he became overwhelmed by the absolute joy of seeing her awake again. "I-I'm here."

Her face contorted with pain as she tried to move her limbs with difficulty. "I feel like I got hit by a Body Slam," she murmured as she lifted up her arm. When she saw the IV tube along her arm, her eyes widened in confusion and slight terror. "Wha – where…?"

"You're in the hospital, Mother," Steven explained calmly. He grabbed the plastic cup filled with water beside her bed and carefully brought it to his mother's lips. A nurse, alongside a Blissey, came in earlier and advised him that if she were to ever wake up, he be sure to give her the liquid right away. "You got into an accident yesterday, remember?"

"I-I – oh, that's right," she said as she recalled the near-death experience. Her cerulean eyes locked onto her son. "When did you find out?"

"Just yesterday," he replied. "Father called me and I arrived in Hoenn a few hours ago. I wanted to make sure you were okay."

She smiled faintly. Her hand slowly reached out to cup his cheek, noticing the slight moisture in his eyes. "You don't need to cry, dear," she told him. "I'm perfectly fine, see?"

Steven quickly rubbed the back of his sleeve against his eyes. He hadn't even noticed that he was about to let loose a few tears until she pointed it out. "I'm not crying," he retorted.

"Your actions seem to say otherwise."

He would have rolled his eyes at his mother's wit but instead just smiled and laughed softly. His mother was known to tease him all the time when he was younger, and even to this day. Though he found it irritating most times, he felt especially relieved and happy to just hear his mother's voice. It let him know that she was still herself despite the traumatic experience she went through.

"Where is your father?" she asked as her eyes roamed the room.

"He had to leave for a bit, but he'll come back soon," he replied, his tone still a little shaky. "Father's been with you all night, you know. When he called me, he sounded very worried and terrified because you were in the OR. Your injuries were nothing to scoff about."

"I suppose that explains the throbbing everywhere," she muttered but soon a small smile lit up her face. "Nevertheless, Arceus knows how much I love your father."

"You should rest, Mother." Steven made to stand up but her raised hand stopped him abruptly.

"I've been asleep for over a day, I think I've had enough rest," she said stubbornly. "Tell me about your trip to Sinnoh."

Though he knew that getting some rest was the best thing for his mother right now, he knew how adamant she was in getting her way. Starting up a small argument right now with her was probably not the best idea, given her current state. He sat back down with a sigh and stared amusedly at her. "What do you want to know?"

"What's it like?" was her first question.

"Cold," he said with a chuckle. Though the Resort Area was known for its warm temperatures, it wasn't as warm as Hoenn's climate. "I practically had to wear a jacket everywhere I went, but other than that, the region is really beautiful."

He went on to explain all the landmarks he'd visited and his many trips to the Underground system where he had the chance to dig up many rare stones. It was like a dream come true when he was told that practically everywhere he dug along the walls would have some kind of rare item or stone. He couldn't even tell his mother as to how many times he might've gone down there during the past couple months he'd been in Sinnoh. In addition, he told his mother of the villa his father had bought for him when she asked about it. Even she had to agree that having bought the huge mansion for just one person was overdoing it a little. Although she understood her husband's way of thinking in trying to provide their son with the best there was.

"Well, you know your father," she mused. "If it has nothing to do with the company, he'll make impulsive decisions whether he realizes it or not."

Steven laughed. "I've been meaning to ask him if we could just sell the place. Though, my pokémon seem to disagree since they enjoy the large space so I'm at a loss as to what to do."

His mother smiled with content. "How are the people there, by the way?" she then asked. "Have you made friends?"

"I've made several, yes." He spoke about having a chance to spend some time catching up with Byron and Roark to discuss their expertise in mining and excavation like him. There weren't many people like him that he could relate to in Hoenn - except for maybe the fossil maniac living near Fallarbor Town who actually dug a hole in his house wall in search for fossils. Though with past experiences, Steven made sure to stay clear of that man in the future. He also mentioned the time he had the chance to visit Iron Island and had met a young man around his age named Riley. He was especially intrigued when he discovered that the wandering trainer possessed the steel-type, Lucario, as his partner.

Then there was Cynthia.

Without realizing it, he had stopped talking altogether when he began to think about her. He couldn't help but recall how bad he felt for leaving her halfway through their research progress the day before and how warm she felt when she embraced him. Even though it had only been a day since he left, he still found himself missing her presence beside him. They had spent quite a bit of time with one another during the past two months that there was no doubt in his mind she would be someone he missed the most.

"Steven, you look a little glum all of a sudden." His mother's voice brought him back from his thoughts. She stared at him with a curious look in her eye. "Is something wrong?"

He hastily shook his head, clearing away any thoughts of the Sinnoh champion. "No, no, I'm fine," he replied. His mother saw right through his lies, however.

"It's perfectly okay to tell me, dear," she said. "I just thought, because you trailed off suddenly when it seemed as if you were about to speak about someone else."

He said nothing to this.

"I recognize that look in your eye, Steven," she began as she stared at the opposite wall in front of her. "It's the look I see in myself sometimes whenever your father says he must go overseas for a board meeting and he leaves for days on end – a look of longing." She gazed back at him and smiled knowingly. "It's about a girl, isn't it?"

Steven was taken aback by his mother's sense of perception. She was truly amazing to have been able to tell all of that through one look.

"Er, how did you…know that?" he asked with slight hesitancy.

His mother winked at him. "Just a mother's intuition."

He laughed. "Well, you're actually not wrong on that one."

"So there is a girl?"

He nodded slightly. "Though it's really not what you're probably thinking," he said quickly. "She's just a friend."

She raised a brow. "But you miss her?"

He paused, a bit unsure of himself if he should be admitting information like this. He stayed silent. For his mother, however, that was all the answer she needed before she continued to speak.

"I promise I won't pry into your love life, dear," she started in a soft tone he recognized to be when she was about to give advice to him. "But I just want you to know that whoever it is you are thinking of, I think you should go back to Sinnoh if she's that important to you."

He gaped at her. "But Mother, you - "

She waved him off, knowing he was going to argue and say something about her condition. "I'll be fine, Steven. Besides, I still have your father to take care of me, if anything. I want you to live your life the way you want to and discover everything there is in store. I want you to find the girl of your dreams who will love you just as much as you will with her. And if that's not satisfying enough, then at least live your life happily instead of worrying over your bedridden mother. It'll break my heart to know that my only son feels he has an obligation to have to take care of his parents all the time. I'll recover soon enough, so please don't worry."

Steven was rather touched by her words. He never actually put much thought into how the future would look for him. All he knew was that one day he'd need to take over for his father's company eventually and until that time came, he had just let his life go with the flow. To hear his mother's wishes gave him a surge of motivation to plan for the future ahead. Though he was still young, his youth wasn't going to last forever.

He chuckled sheepishly all of a sudden. "Funny thing, actually," he said. "The person I'm talking about is a rather important figure to all of Sinnoh." His mother looked perplexed at his words, so he went straight to the point. "She's the champion of Sinnoh."

He had never seen his mother so surprised in his life. The once steady beeping of the EKG monitor in the corner began to increase suddenly as his mother's eyes widened in astonishment. "You mean to say, Cynthia?" Steven nodded once, feeling a little afraid for his mother's well-being at the moment, until she smiled and chuckled. "I've seen her on TV, actually. Why, she makes me wish I looked like that when I was young. She's a very pretty thing though, don't you agree? I'd be surprised if you _didn't_ have your eyes set on someone like her, even with her looks aside."

He flushed red at the thought. He wasn't about to go admitting to his mother who he found attractive, that was a recipe for disaster.

She then asked, "Is she single?"

Steven smiled faintly at the thought. "Yes, she is."

Just saying those words brought a sense of relief to the ex-champion. It was no surprise to him that there were other people out there who most certainly found the blonde to be attractive. Though it was certainly a surprise to him when he found out that Cynthia was not in any sort of romantic relationship. As he grew to know and understand her a little better, he discovered she had other priorities that were more important to her than the need to be fiddling around in a romance. Despite that, he still felt drawn to her.

His mother began to laugh at his flustered expression when he went silent again.

"I'm only teasing, dear, I hope you know," she said amusedly. "Though, in all seriousness – "

"I get it, Mother," he interjected her before she could comment any further, with a grin. "I'll sleep on it, whether I'll go back or not."

She nodded in approval. "Speaking of sleep," his mother started before a yawn escaped her mouth. "All this talking's made me rather tired." She yawned again, settling back into the pillows. "Thank you for visiting me, Steven."

He sent her a warm smile and leaned over the bed railing to kiss his mother on the cheek. "I love you, Mom, thank you," he whispered. Her eyes were half-lidded when he then said to her, "For the record, Mother, I _do_ find her to be very beautiful – though, not as beautiful as you." A smile lit up her lips before her eyes closed fully this time. The sound of the EKG monitor beeping at a steady rate being the only noise heard in the entire room.

* * *

**Part 1 of his return to Hoenn. Next chapter will feature a new character that you may or may not like depending on how you look at it. **

**Also, a special thanks to everyone who has reviewed! We've reached 50 reviews so far which is great since I'm aware of how small of the support there is on this particular ship. :) **

**Thanks for reading!**


	17. Sympathy

_Sympathy_

* * *

His father was disappointed to hear he had not been there the moment his wife had woken up and insisted they pay a visit early the next day. Steven's mother was already wide awake by the time they arrived and his father immediately went to embrace her in relief and utter joy. The sight of his parents holding each other like they had been apart for ages brought a smile to his lips. He admired their commitment and love for one another that he could only wish in the future he'd experience something similarly as beautiful.

His father peppered his mother's cheek and temple with kisses that made her laugh. Steven decided to look away before he could see anything else. Though they were still very much in love with each other, seeing their display of affection right in front of his eyes often left him cringing in slight discomfort. He went to sit by the table filled with his mother's gifts and glanced out the window to stare at the sunny blue sky. The doctors had said his mother wouldn't be able to leave the hospital for another week or so – until her injuries healed, but even then she'd have to be on crutches to help her walk.

Despite what she had told him yesterday, he still wanted to be there for his both his parents. He was still a little unsure about leaving and going back to Sinnoh like she had suggested because of it. He had thought hard about it the night before but to no avail did he come to a solid conclusion for he had fallen asleep soon after. The decision was proving to be rather difficult.

A few hours after they'd arrived, the door to the room suddenly opened. Steven thought it was just the nurse coming in to check on his mother, but he whipped his head around when he heard the strangely familiar, feminine voice.

"Oh wow, the whole Stone family is in here! Hi guys!"

He could recognize that voice anywhere, not to mention the flaring red hair the young woman would put up to resemble a flame. Her hair would be noticeable to anyone within a mile. The fire-type gym leader of Lavaridge Town poked her head into the room with a vibrant smile. Steven, on the other hand, stared in pure shock.

"Flannery!" his mother greeted the young woman brightly as she came into the room. "What a pleasant surprise!" An old man, Steven knew to be the gym leader's grandfather, followed behind her, holding a walking cane.

The old man tipped his fedora hat towards the family. "We heard about your accident and decided to pay a visit ourselves," he said. "I hope that all is well?"

His mother smiled cheerfully. "I'm still recovering, but I _am_ very much alive," she joked. "Thank you for stopping by."

"It's no problem, really," the redhead piped in. "Grandpa was worried sick for you guys and insisted we come."

Steven still stood by the window, watching the whole exchange happen before him. Their two families were close to one another. He knew his father and her grandfather were previous business partners for a few years before the latter took up the title to become the Lavaridge Gym Leader when he retired from the business world. Even after that, they remained close friends, which was how Steven had come to be acquainted with his granddaughter. They ultimately knew each other since childhood. For as long as he could remember, they were rather incredibly close as children despite living in different cities. And since his father and her grandfather had the chance to often meet up with one another, Steven would always tag along and would get the chance to play with the girl quite often. It was like that for several years, until things started to change between them.

Flannery met eyes with the young man across the room and smiled. "Steven, you're back from Sinnoh!" she asked him as she came up to him. His parents were currently occupied with speaking to her grandfather.

Steven chuckled. "Yes, just yesterday, actually. I left right when I heard the news."

She frowned with worry. "That's too bad that your vacation was cut short, huh?"

He assured his old friend with a smile. "I decided to come on my own accord. Family first, right?" There was a brief pause before he continued, "Anyway, how goes running the gym?"

"Things have been a little slow," she replied with a grin. "My grandfather's been helping me out quite a bit, though, which I'm really grateful for. Without his training and Blaine's teachings, I'd probably be handing out gym badges left and right not giving the trainers much of a challenge against me. Though, I still sometimes mess up in battles, to be honest."

"I certainly doubt that…"

Flannery scoffed. "Yeah right, you'd always win against me, remember? I don't think much has changed since then."

He smirked as he recalled the memories of them as children, having their pokémon face off against each other. "That was ages ago, though," he said. "I'm sure that you've grown as a trainer in battle, since then."

She narrowed her eyes at him, putting her hands on her hips. "If that's supposed to be an invitation to a battle, my answer is no. I'd rather not have my butt kicked by you, as the Champion or not."

Steven just laughed and held up his hands in mercy. "Fair enough."

He could see the growing smile on her face as she looked back towards his mother. It was a shame they hadn't seen much of each other for quite a while, even before he left for Sinnoh. Though they had been close as children, he couldn't help but think back to what might have caused them to drift apart over the years.

He knew where it all started. Though they were only a couple years apart in age, at the time when he had just become Champion at just eighteen, he began to see the redhead in a completely different light. They were still close friends at the time when he gained the highest title a trainer could have. She had visited him the day after to congratulate his winning when something inside him snapped and he kissed her right then and there. It was an impulsive move on his part, but he was rather surprised that she actually returned the favor. For the longest time, he was completely happy after that. She was there to support him, along with everyone else in his life, in his first year as champion and he was truly grateful for that. Without the people he loved, it would have been difficult.

They were practically inseparable during those days; the infamous saying of 'opposites attract' applied to them directly. Every minute he spent with her made him feel like he was on top of the world, that nothing could interfere with how he felt. Steven had been in love with her once. They were each other's first loves. Things might have been even perfect. And although it had happened almost suddenly, their close relatives knew they were both really happy.

Things started to change when Flannery was given the opportunity to study under the fire-type gym leader all the way in Kanto on the ways of fire-type pokémon. It was under her grandfather's suggestion that she go in order to broaden her knowledge of being a true fire-type master. The couple both knew she was going to eventually take up the gym as her own one day, which Steven didn't really mind since they'd still be in the same region, but having to leave for an indefinite amount of time was beyond them. They were unsure of how to handle the situation. A part of them knew it would help Flannery in the long run, but the idea of a long-distance relationship was rather difficult to accept. Nonetheless, they figured they could make it work and so she left, with a rather tearful goodbye on both their parts. However, while things seemed to go well for the first couple months, they soon found that his duty as Champion and her studying were becoming a handful that they only ever had time to call each other once a week.

It was becoming increasingly difficult to keep up their relationship that the week when she came back to Hoenn for a little bit, they had decided to call it off. The feeling was mutual from both parties and there were no hard feelings either. It left Steven with a rather heavy heart for quite a while, however, sometimes even affecting his battles to maintain his title. To have their relationship shatter in just a few words was heartbreaking. He wasn't angry about it, though. Their situations were understandable. He had truly thought she might have been the one.

Steven had gotten over it, eventually, in just a few months. They remained friends, in the end, which he was perfectly content about. Neither of them held a grudge about it or to one another. Instead they both agreed that things just weren't meant to be. They were young people back then, not entirely sure what was going on around them. He thought that if she wasn't going to be the one, then there was certainly someone else out there who was destined to be the love of his life. Their relationship taught him many things. The main one being to keep moving forward, no matter how hard times were. Things would get better over time unless he became so stuck up on living in the past. It was a valuable lesson he took to heart over a lot of things in his life.

Steven turned to the redhead beside him, who was watching and listening to the conversation her grandfather and his parents were having. He nudged her gently with his elbow to get her attention. When her amber eyes looked back at him in curiosity, he asked her, "Do you want to take a walk outside for a bit?"

Flannery sent him a questioning look but nodded anyway. "Sure thing."

* * *

They sat beside one another on a bench in the hospital courtyard. Steven was suddenly reminded of the times they used to cuddle up on a couch close to one another, though this time around they kept a respectful distance from one another. He looked out to the gardens and noticed some small pokémon were scattered over the grounds. They were for the hospital patients who wanted a breath of fresh air and give them a chance to play with the small critters. He took note that he should bring his mother down there one day when she was feeling up to it.

Flannery looked over at him with a smile when a Skitty came up to their feet. "So, what's up? You're looking kinda serious right now."

One corner of his lips curled up in amusement. "I just wanted to get out of that stuffy room for a bit," he replied, reaching down to scratch the pokémon behind its ears. "I'm getting rather sick of the medicinal smell in there."

"Yeah, me too," she agreed. "I hate the way hospitals smell." She let out a small laugh and sat up straight. "Well, tell me about your trip to Sinnoh! I want to hear all about it."

And just like yesterday, similar to his conversation with his mother, he retold many of the events that happened to him and what he saw while he was there for the two months. She was rather excited to hear all about it, asking questions about the food and weather from having not visited the region herself. Steven did, however, choose to leave out talking about his encounters with the Sinnoh champion since all it would bring him were feelings of how much he missed her.

"That sounds amazing, Steven," the redhead said after he finished retelling his adventures. "You really enjoyed it, huh?"

He smiled. "Most definitely," he responded.

There was a sudden silence between the both of them. It wasn't uncomfortable, but quite the opposite. She pushed a strand of her flaming red hair behind her ear when a slight breeze swept through the courtyard, enough for Flannery's familiar citrus-like scent to reach his senses. There was once a time where he enjoyed her scent because it reflected her rather lively personality. Though, almost recently, he couldn't help but prefer the scent of sweet flowers instead now.

There was a reason he wanted to bring her out there and talk with her since he was given the chance by her untimely appearance. He only wanted a second opinion on something.

Though, he was beginning to wonder if this was such a good idea after all. He had initially thought that since there were no hard feelings between the both of them, he could confide in his ex-girlfriend – who was now just a friend to him – in gaining some advice on a particular topic, but he was starting to think otherwise. Their breakup happened ages ago, though. Surely their relationship was at that point where he could just speak his thoughts to her without worry, right? He somewhat recalled hearing about her dating someone else a while back, anyway, so he was feeling rather certain there was nothing to worry about.

"Flannery, I want your input on something," he began as a way to break the silence. The words were coming out now, might as well continue on.

She turned to him and raised a brow, "Okay, I'm listening."

"How should I put this," he muttered. Steven took in a breath when he thought he found the right words. "If you knew there was something somewhere that was waiting for you – well, maybe _waiting _isn't the correct term – but let's say you had the chance to take it, would you?"

Flannery couldn't help but blink as she tried processing his words. He then realized he probably didn't make any sense to her if he didn't even know what he was talking about. Sugar coating it wasn't going to get him anywhere, though it was the best option he had rather than getting straight to the point.

But he wanted advice, and if that was his only other option…

He sighed and shook his head, disappointedly at himself. "Forget what I said, just let me start over," he said.

"Uh…okay?"

Ignoring the hesitation in her voice, he continued, "If you knew there was _someone_ somewhere else that you, I don't know, wanted to be with and you certainly had the chance to go to them, would you go for it?"

She was silent after that. Steven wasn't sure if that meant he should have repeated what he had said because he tried to think say it the only way he could. The pit of his stomach dropped in disappointment. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea, after all.

Suddenly, she started to chuckle. He looked back at her to find her smiling as she laughed away. Steven couldn't help but feel a bit confused. "Er…"

"First of all, I'm kinda shocked you'd come to me for love advice when we both know how well our relationship's worked out in the past," Flannery finally said, "Second of all, if this person was worth it, why the hell not? I think the both of us have learned enough mistakes in our lives to evaluate what's probably the best decision in this type of scenario."

He was unsure if he understood the meaning behind those last words of hers correctly, but he wasn't about to ask. Instead, he focused on what she said about the person being 'worth it'. Right now, he wasn't going to deny the fact that he was quite smitten with the Sinnoh champion. Every time he thought about her, he thought not only about how much he missed her but also about how incredible of a woman and person she was. After his relationship with Flannery, women never really seemed to faze him, not until he met _her_ at the gala all those months ago and changed all of his views. If she was able to have such an impact on him, did that mean that she was worth it?

"I'm not going to ask who it is, because that'd be a bit rude, but if this person's not anything like me, then I'd tell you to go for it," she said after that which made Steven feel a bit uneasy. There was no need for his friend to be putting herself down like that.

"Flannery, you're a wonderful person, I have firsthand knowledge of that," he said to her, his blue eyes meeting her amber ones. "You deserve much more from someone who'll be with you no matter how hard times get, and someone who will love you forever. Like you said, we've made mistakes in the past but we're supposed to learn from them."

She smiled a bit sadly. "Y'know," her voice was quieter this time around. "I used to wonder what things would be like if it _did_ work out between us. What would things be like now? Would we even still be together? It's kind of depressing, really."

Another silence. But no tension filled the air. The days where he felt rather heartbroken about their breakup all those years ago, he had often contemplated about asking for her forgiveness and wondering if she'd take him back. But he would decide against it since he was so unsure. It might have happened a long time ago, but he never regretted any single moment he shared with the gym leader.

She chuckled again. "I've probably strayed away from the topic at hand though, right? Anyway, Steven, the only real advice I can say here is to just go out there. Take the plunge and if it doesn't work out, you move on." She winked at him. "I learned that from one of the greatest people I know."

This time, he couldn't help but join in with her mild laughter. The lesson that he had claimed he took to heart eventually came back to bite him in the end. He was simply happy to know that other people would apply it to their own lives, as well.

* * *

That evening, as Steven wandered the rooms of his family's estate, he was rather surprised when his phone started to vibrate in his pocket, and was even more surprised at the person who decided to call him. Without a second thought, he pressed it against his ear and greeted the familiar person happily.

"You _do_ know it's nearly eleven here, right?" were his first words to the Sinnoh champion after not hearing her voice for a few days now. He said it rather playfully, which earned him a light chuckle from the other end.

"_Sorry, I'm rather forgetful about time zones_," was Cynthia's apologetic reply. "_I probably shouldn't even be calling long-distance as well, to be honest._"

He smiled and sat down against one of the armchairs in the room he was in. "Well, I'm okay with it," he assured her. "So to what do I owe the pleasure to speak with you?"

"_I wanted to ask how things are on your end,_" she told him. _"How is your mother?_"

"She's doing well, thankfully," he said, glad he was able to say those words out loud despite all the worry he must have put her through. "She woke up yesterday and she's been herself ever since – if you discount the many naps she's taken so far."

He could hear her smile through her words, "_I'm so relieved to hear that_. _Please, send my best wishes_." There was a momentary pause between them, but Cynthia spoke out again, "_And how are you faring?_"

Steven recalled having left her with worry written all over his face those few days ago. It wasn't what he quite had in mind as a way to say farewell to someone he cared about so of course she'd wonder if he was okay or not.

"I'm doing better than the last time you saw me," he simply said. "Which is to say I'm rather happy again."

"_That's a good thing, right?_"

He smirked at her light teasing. "I believe so," he replied with a laugh. Perhaps it was because it was getting late and he was rather tired from trying to get used to Hoenn's time again but he couldn't help but decide to break his decision to her. "By the way, I've got some news I'm sure you'd like to hear."

As if she were right in front of him, he imagined her raising her perfectly curved eyebrow at this. "_Oh? And what's that?_"

"I'm going back to Sinnoh."

* * *

**Part 2 of his return to Hoenn. But now he's going back, haha!**

**Also, some light candlestickshipping won't hurt anyone, right? Maybe she'll return later in the story, I dunno, we'll see but obviously this story is lolishota so don't expect too much from the other ship. :) **


	18. Holding

_Holding_

* * *

It was a little over a week before Steven's mother was safe to use crutches and finally be admitted out of the hospital. However, she had to be wheeled out in a wheelchair for the time being until she had the strength to walk on them. Her injuries on her head were healing nicely though, the doctors had said, and for Steven and his father, they couldn't be any more delighted to hear the news. His mother was beginning to get restless from staying inside the building by the third day. Thankfully, a trip down to the courtyard and a pair of Azurill wanting to play had fixed that problem nicely.

Steven had told them all about his final decision to go back to Sinnoh. His father was shocked but his mother understood and respected his choice. That was why, after a few days of making sure his mother was comfortable back at the family estate, he made preparations for another boat plane ticket to the mountainous region. His conversation with Cynthia on the phone the week before had left him feeling giddy and excited inside to go back again. Even to this day. She sounded surprised by the sudden news as well but was happy to hear he would be coming back a second time so soon.

However, during one of the few days he spent for preparations, Wallace had stopped by to visit. He burst through the doors, feeling completely ecstatic to find out his best friend had come back home only to find out that he was about to leave again. Steven understood his disappointment but his decision was made by the time he came by. He too was excited to see his friend again but had to break the news to him right after the gym leader mentioned he was planning a welcome back party for him. Wallace's reaction was of utter grief. Though, Steven had to admit he felt the same after having not seen his best friend in ages. Sure, he'd gotten the occasional call from him back when he was in Sinnoh but that didn't compare to finally seeing him in person.

Thankfully, Wallace didn't react with outrage afterwards. He was always understanding in these types of situations.

The day Steven was ready to depart his parents, along with Wallace who insisted he come, were there to see him board the plane. The water-type master was already beginning to tear up before the boat plane was even ready to take in passengers.

"I'm not crying!" he said in denial as he wiped his eyes with the back of his sleeve. "The sun's just beating down too strong and my eyes are getting sensitive!" He sniffed.

When it was time, the ex-champion had given each of them a farewell hug, with Wallace clinging onto his childhood friend like it was the end of the world. His father wished him all the best and promised him not worry about his mother while he went away. When he went to hug his mother, who was still sitting in her wheelchair at the time, she had whispered a few words of support into his ear saying, "Do what you know is right and will make you happy, my dear."

"Thank you, Mother," he said when he pulled back after she placed a kiss against his cheek. They all smiled encouragingly, save for Wallace who was still getting emotional, when he waved to them before stepping onto the boarding plank.

He couldn't help but think as if his adventure had only taken a small detour along the way by returning home. And by making this decision to go to back Sinnoh, he could only hope he was on the verge of steering his life towards the right path.

* * *

Cynthia had gotten his call to say he had just arrived in Sinnoh late that day. The call was rather unexpected, but she felt glad to have been informed. The last time they had spoken was when he told her he was going to return the week before. She felt a little disappointed that she was unable to have been there to greet him (though there was no need to, she would have done it out of kindness) in person again. Either way, her work would have had her time taken up her time to have had the chance to go.

"_By the way, I was wondering if you'd have dinner with me this Friday_," she remembered him saying to her over the phone and then quickly adding, "_If you're not busy, that is!_" Even over the line, Cynthia could hear the slight nervousness in his tone. She accepted his request, nonetheless.

The next few days went by so quickly for her. Her champion duties had kept her quite busy to the point where she almost forgot he had asked her out in the first place, the day of. She only remembered a few hours beforehand after Flint and Aaron asked if she was up for a movie with the rest of the Elite Four crew for that evening. Under normal circumstances, she would have accepted since it was often customary for them after a long week, but declined upon realization of having made plans already. It was a habit of hers to forget things if she didn't make a note of it – which she had conveniently forgotten to do this time around. Although it helped that the Pokémon League Headquarters in was close to the Resort Area and her Togekiss easily flew her over in no time.

The restaurant he told her he would make reservations for wasn't overly fancy so she chose to go in wearing her usual all-black attire as it was fancy enough for her tastes. The sun was beginning to set by the time she got there, leaving a hue of warm colours in the sky. She went inside, ignoring a few of the glances and stares by other customers realizing who she was when she passed by and marched right up to the front desk to ask for Steven's reservation under his name.

The hostess smiled politely, choosing not to stare at the champion who suddenly entered the building longer than necessary. "Right this way, ma'am."

Cynthia followed her through the restaurant. The tables were filled with people dining, no doubt because the day was ending but the restaurant's day was just beginning. She didn't realize how big the place was until they came to a small staircase and proceeded to climb them, leading her to a second level of more tables at the top. It boasted how it was meant for privacy which Cynthia found rather pleasant knowing if they were to sit at the more open and public tables below, they'd earn themselves interested stares from other diners. Coming in seemed like the easy part; leaving sounded like a whole different story.

She immediately saw his distinct silver, unkempt hair from behind once she reached the top. When the hostess appeared in his line of vision, he turned his head around and smiled cognitively at the Sinnoh champion. His smile was so genuine, she found herself returning the favour with one of her own.

Steven stood up when she neared their table. "Hey, you made it."

She sat down across from him and graciously took the menu from the hostess who promised to come back in a little bit to take down their orders. "Sorry, if I made you wait," she said to him once the waitress left.

"Ah, you didn't," he replied. "I just came a bit early."

Cynthia turned her head to slightly incline her head in order to see over the wall partition and down below at the lower level floor. The many voices of the diners below could be heard from up where they were. She then looked around them when she realized the entire upper floor's tables were empty save for them two. She turned to him in bewilderment. "Why are the other tables so empty up here?"

Steven cleared his throat. "I, uh, bought out the rest of the tables," he told her when he caught onto her confusion, nodding to the rest of the area. "I mean, if we were to dine with other people in the nearby…"

"They would all stare," she finished for him with a soft tone. "Good thinking." She wasn't sure if she approved of this choice but the reasoning behind it made sense. Though she couldn't help but wonder how much Steven might have had to pay in order to convince the restaurant owners.

The candle on their table flickered inside its holder as she browsed through the menu. The lighting was dim up in the balcony-like area, she had to squint ever so slightly to read the text. "So what have you been up to the past week that you've been here?" she asked him, glancing at him over the top of the menu.

"Besides going back to the Underground?" She grinned at his response. "Hm, well I _did_ have a chance to hike to the base of Stark Mountain earlier today, actually, but I came back down. I'm making it a goal to spend my nights at the mansion more often now."

"Still stuck with the place, I'm guessing?"

He sighed in slight dismay. "Unfortunately," he said. "Although my pokémon seem to love it."

A few minutes later, their hostess came back to take down their orders, still acting unfazed that she was in the presence of two renowned people. The Sinnoh champion had to give the woman some credit. It made things easier for the two of them to not have to deal with such an awkward situation and just enjoy their dinner date.

_Wait, is this even a date? _Cynthia shook the thought away. It had to be unlikely that this was supposed to be one – though she had to admit, they never specified in the first place. She just assumed it would have been a simple outing between two friends, at a rather fancy-like restaurant judging by the interior of high columns and intricate tablecloth designs. Though, looking at the man in front of her, who wore his fitting black suit with the dark-purple stripes down the front and a red neck-tie that was always tied to perfection, Cynthia couldn't help but think otherwise.

Deep down, though, she didn't mind if it was.

* * *

Steven was relieved to hear that Cynthia didn't take offense of him taking the initiative to buy out the balcony area of the restaurant. The owner was skeptical at first when he asked, unsure whether to accept his offer or not until the ex-champion put down a large wad of money forward – which Steven realized to be quite foolish on his end. He reminded himself of his father's impulsive decisions when it came to money matters disregarding the company.

He wasn't very fond of the idea of the old man's habits rubbing off on him.

Nevertheless, it worked to his favour in the end for the owner's eyes had lit up with enthusiasm at the presentation of the cheque of money before his eyes. He graciously accepted the offer and told the ex-champion he'd have the whole floor reserved for him right away (as well as naming the young heir his best customer ever). This restaurant had one of the best selections of cuisine Steven had encountered in all of Sinnoh thus far and he wanted to make it special by inviting Cynthia to the place.

Their waitress returned with their food a little while later as they continued to chat about various things aimlessly. He told her all about his mother's condition while she discussed the progress of her research on the legendary pokémon, Giratina. She told him how she found a hidden path among the trees in Route 214 that she deduced to have been the Spring Path. She had mentioned it was never located on maps, but the texts had mentioned it to have existed. Her tone was of excitement at her own personal discovery. And finding something as extraordinary as this, he knew that for her it meant a whole new world of more research was in store.

Steven was fascinated by how much she had covered in the span that he was away for and how dedicated she was to her line of work. There was always a distinct glimmer in her eye whenever she spoke of her interests that half the time he often found himself just simply staring; feeling completely mesmerized by this woman.

Cynthia stopped short, however, and her cheeks suddenly burned a furious red. She cast her eyes down to her plate, embarrassed, and said quietly, "I was ranting again, wasn't I?" She sighed deeply. "I'm sorry."

Steven smiled reassuringly and shook his head. "No, no, it's quite all right," he replied. "I was listening to everything you said…well…I mean – please, continue! I'm still interested in what you've accomplished while I was away."

Smiling tentatively, she said, "I think I've said enough of my share of events. I'm much more interest to hear what you have to say about this matter."

"Me?" he managed, albeit hesitantly. She nodded encouragingly. Steven cleared his throat. "Well, I _am_ rather impressed by the fact that you found out all of this on your own. If I had still been helping, I'm afraid I probably would have just slowed you down."

Her eyebrows knit together. "What are you talking about? You've done so much to help me," she praised. "Besides, it isn't often that I can get someone to listen to my theories as well as you do. It's nice to have a listening ear every once in a while."

"Oh…well, then I'm honoured to hear whatever you have to say any time," he replied. She sent him a funny look while he seemed to flush pink. "I mean – because – if it's got something to do with your research, I'd be happy to assist you in any way! And…" Cynthia started to laugh suddenly. It was his turn to give her a look of puzzlement. "What's so funny?"

Her laughter subsided moments later as she poked her fork into her food. "I'm sorry, I'm probably a terrible person for thinking this," she started, "but when you get embarrassed, your cheeks turn the brightest shade of pink and you seem to stumble over your words. I can't help but think it's amusing."

His eyes widened, feeling even more flustered now that she pointed it out. He was a bit unsure on how to take this piece of information until she spoke again, "Oh, but please don't take it the wrong way. I think it's cute – " Her words cut midsentence when she realized what she had just said. "Ah, I mean…" She looked to the side to hide her pink cheeks but Steven was quick to catch on.

_Two can play at that game_, he thought with a smirk. "I'll take that as a compliment," he said to her confidently and with a wink. "But I mustn't take all the credit here, you know. When _you_ get embarrassed, your voice goes higher ever so slightly which is pretty funny, I think."

She gaped in surprise at his acknowledgement of her own habits. "I do not - !" She covered her mouth when she realized he was correct and had heard her own voice reach a slightly higher octave than usual.

Steven smiled smugly. "But I rather like it, anyway." If he could, he'd tell her that he meant it. "In all seriousness, though, I think you've accomplished quite a few admirable feats, Cynthia. And I'm not just talking about being one of the first few female champions in the world, here." Her grey eyes were set on his as he spoke. "I hope you know that."

She smiled. "I'm flattered," she replied softly as she brought her glass of wine to her lips. "_But_ I could definitely say the same with you."

From there on, the only words they spoke were words of praise and compliments as they displayed their utmost respect they held for one another. Almost as if they were trying to one-up the other, which Steven found to be engaging and pleasant, whether they realized it or not.

* * *

After insisting he pay for both their bills (in which she had politely declined but he would have none of it) he showed her down the emergency exit on the second floor when she asked how they were ever going to leave the building. Steven had gone down the alternate stairwell many times in the past and knew it would lead them straight outside if they went. It was a better alternative than having to leave through the front doors while other customers' eyes followed them as they left or to wait for the restaurant to clear out. Neither of them was too keen on having to wait several more hours until the service died down, however.

"Well, it's better than nothing," Cynthia had commented when she stepped through the door he held open for her.

He offered to take a stroll through the park nearby since neither of them was ready to part ways just yet. It felt like their evening had just begun despite it being past nine o'clock already.

The entire vicinity was rather quiet and relaxing as they walked alongside one another, enjoying the placid atmosphere around them. The air was a bit chilly outside despite being near the inactive volcano that was Stark Mountain. The moon was shining brightly above them when they arrived and the sky itself was completely devoid of any greyish clouds. The night's blackness was all they could see along with the thousands of stars twinkling and sparkling periodically. All the lamp posts in the park were lit along the stone pathway. Steven could hear the sound of her heels and his dress shoes clapping against the stone path beneath them as they walked. Thankfully, there were only a few people loitering about which neither of them seemed to mind as they only ever worried about bigger crowds of people.

"I've been meaning to ask you something," her gentle voice cut the silence suddenly. He looked at her, putting his hands inside his pockets. "What made you decide to come back to Sinnoh?"

Steven thought of his mother and Flannery just then, with their helpful advice with his initial decision making. Without them, he was unsure as to where he would be at that moment – possibly still back in Hoenn wandering about like he always did. If it hadn't been for them, he wouldn't have worked up the courage to ask the Sinnoh champion out on that night. He felt lucky to have supportive people like them in his life.

"It took a lot of convincing and thinking," he said to her when he spotted a group of teenagers up ahead coming towards them riding on skateboards. "from my mother and an old friend, that is – to help me realize there's probably more in store for me here than in Hoenn."

Cynthia looked like she was about to ask something else when the skateboarders he spotted whizzed past them, one of them nearly close enough to hit her shoulder if she hadn't sided up against Steven's arm, holding on tightly.

"Sorry, lady!" the young boy who almost rammed into her shouted as he skated past the two.

She sighed. "I wonder if kids even have curfews these days," she said with slight humour when they passed.

Steven looked down at the pressure he felt on his arm that was her hand holding his sleeve tightly, and looked at her. She got the message and quickly let go, putting a foot of distance between the two of them. "Sorry! I didn't mean to cling onto you like that," she apologized hastily.

But the ex-champion chuckled and without a second thought, offered her his hand. "I don't mind it at all," he replied. The blonde stared at his outstretched hand for a moment and glanced at him, before hesitantly placing a hand into his. He closed his fingers around hers, feeling the warmth and fluttering feeling shoot up his body from the physical contact. It was a bold move on his part, to want to hold her hand, but he was relieved that she accepted without question.

They continued down the path as they continued to chat for the next little bit. Steven would occasionally feel her shoulder brush against his as they walked. She laughed when he told her about Wallace's emotional outburst from a few days ago when he had to break the news of his departure. She had said that even though she never formally introduced herself to the water-type master, she had heard about his rather flamboyant personality and dramatic tendencies.

"But he sounds like an interesting person," she told him with a bright smile.

Steven smirked. "He's a bit crazy once you get to know him," he replied. "I don't even know how our personalities ever worked to form a friendship."

"Well, I'm sure the term 'opposites attract' must apply here then."

He rolled his eyes. "You have no idea how true that is."

* * *

They came to the other side of the park's entrance soon after as the path discontinued into the sidewalk. The streets weren't busy at all; hardly any cars passed them by. And they were having too much fun to want to call it a night so soon, though Cynthia knew it was getting a bit late. She had to remind herself that the next day was going to be quite busy for her with preparations for the next Championship Tournament which she had mentioned to Steven earlier.

"Do you have plans to stay anywhere tonight?" he suddenly asked her as they stood under the park archway. Their hands had long returned to their sides. "I mean, it's a little far to travel back to the League Headquarters at a time like this, don't you think?"

Cynthia had to think for a moment. What he said was true. Going back to the headquarters would take a while and she wasn't exactly willing to travel that far let alone have her Togekiss fly her over this late into the night.

"I mean, you could always stay overnight at my villa."

She rounded her eyes on him sharply, her eyes wide with astonishment at his suggestion. Then a sudden smirk played at the corner of her lips as she raised an eyebrow. "What exactly are you implying, _Mr. Stone_?" she said teasingly. His response and expression after that made her want to laugh.

Steven was staring incredulously at her, his cheeks tinted red. "I-I'm not implying anything!" he quickly refuted, holding his hands up in his defense. "I just thought, because, you know – I mean, I have several guest bedrooms you could take, which wouldn't be a problem at all and it's late so…" He sighed and ran a hand over his face. "I sound like a fool right now, don't I?"

Cynthia laughed but shook her head reassuringly. "No, no, it's fine," she said, still amused by his attempt to explain what he meant. "But I know what you were trying to say, don't worry. I was actually just going to head over to the Pokémon Center, if anything."

He scratched the back of his neck. "Ah, well, if that's so then I won't force you," he replied in a slightly smoother tone this time.

She knew the Pokémon Center was just down the street and wouldn't be a problem at all for her to stay at. She was rather touched by his offer (all jokes aside), however, and would have accepted if she didn't have the dreaded feeling like she would be intruding if she did. It was best to play the safe route for now, Cynthia told herself, though her heart was still racing by the sudden impromptu comment she made.

He appeared to have calmed down now. Cynthia was staring into his light blue eyes, which she often compared to a clear blue sky, with great interest. They were like nothing she'd ever seen before in someone with blue eyes especially under the faint light of the moon and lampposts illuminating the area. There was no doubt in her mind she was captivated and attracted with the young heir – and not simply because of his looks. Hardly anyone ever had that kind of effect on her. He made her feel warm inside. His entire complexion fascinated and appealed to her very strongly at that moment. She averted her gaze to his lips that had formed a faint smile.

Then, the unthinkable seemed to have crossed her mind.

Steven's opened his mouth to say something, "Anyway, I – ?"

She didn't know what made her do it. Perhaps it was the gleam in his eye or the way his lips had parted ever so slightly, but she had stepped towards him, gently grasped the collar of his shirt to hold him close, and stood on her toes to place a firm kiss over his mouth just as he began to speak. Cynthia had never felt more exhilarated in her life from what she just did. It was meant to be sweet, not intense; as a sort of kiss goodbye. From this new proximity, she could smell his intoxicating cologne mixed with the scent of a woodsy aftershave that was pervading her senses.

The Butterfree were fluttering wildly in her stomach and her own cheeks burned a deep shade of scarlet. He didn't have much of a chance to react for she parted away seconds later to gauge in his reaction.

Steven's cheeks were just as red as hers, his eyes wide, and his whole expression telling her he was completely stupefied over what had just happened.

She tried to keep her voice calm when she spoke, her own heart continuing to race with excitement. "I-I hope you don't mind."

He only stared at her, his mouth opening to say something but closing right after. A faint smile touched her lips as she observed his bewildered trance.

"Thank you for dinner," Cynthia added softly as she let go of his suit and stepped back. "I had fun."

It took him a few moments to finally recollect his thoughts, before he answered back, "Yeah…no problem – I mean, I had fun too." His pupils were still dilated from the astonishing turn of events as he continued to just stare at her.

With one more lingering gaze at his dazed expression, Cynthia bit her lip and gave a slight wave before turning on her heel, a slight bounce in her step from the frenzy of emotion welling up inside her. She was never one to have acted on spontaneous decisions, but she was rather proud of the one she had just accomplished.

* * *

**Over 4500 words… I don't even know where to begin, except that they kissed. ;) If you've made it this far through the fic, I must commend you. Thank you SO much for reading! You guys are awesome! Please leave your thoughts below! **


	19. Knife

_Knife_

* * *

It'd been two days.

Two days since he'd had dinner with Cynthia, two days since _she_ kissed _him_, and two days since they'd spoken to one another.

He had to admit that he was a bit confused as to where and what their relationship status was as of yet. In short, Steven found himself in a bit of a dilemma. After coming home from that rather eventful evening, he was in complete bliss. He hadn't expected for her to kiss him and wouldn't have expected himself to once they parted ways. Needless to say, he didn't get much sleep that night as he awoke periodically to find the warm feeling bubble up through his entire being. The thought of how her lips felt against his, soft like a rose petal (even though it came and went in a matter of seconds) left his heart racing the whole night and well into the next day.

It was so sudden and Steven was unsure as to what her motive was behind it, or if there even was one. Nonetheless, he appreciated the gesture more than ever. Since she was the one who kissed him that must have meant there was _some_ sort of attraction for him on her part as well. Otherwise, she probably wouldn't have done it.

Steven stood in his kitchen, planning to fix himself a meal. He ran his hands under the tap water and sighed, deep in thought. Calling her seemed to be his best bet, if anything, but he had tried several times already and unfortunately, his calls went straight to voicemail. He didn't want to appear pushy or persistent, however, so he stopped after the fourth try over the course of two days. But the thought kept nagging the back of his mind.

_Well, she's probably busy,_ Steven told himself as he rummaged through the refrigerator. He seemed to have recalled how she mentioned the Championship Tournament was being prepared for the winner of the recent Sinnoh League Conference from a few weeks ago. That meant they would need her full and undivided attention as he went through the same treatment himself during his reign in Hoenn. The winner of that tournament would get the chance to face off against the five strongest trainers of the region. If they managed to succeed in defeating all of the Elite Four, they would get the chance to battle Cynthia. But a lot of work would need to be put into a Champion battle, however, as the tournament often needed to be on live television for the world to see. He knew how stressful and rough things could be.

He went back over to the counter and turned his attention to look through the sliding glass doors that led outside to the back of the villa. His pokémon were out of their poké balls for the afternoon, enjoying themselves as they played around – despite their rather aggressive and intimidating appearances. It amused him how fearsome they could be in battle but act completely disciplined and seemingly playful when they weren't. His Aggron and Armaldo were wrestling one another, trying to push the other out of the makeshift ring marked on the ground. And from what their trainer could see, it looked as if the bug/rock-type was winning judging by Aggron's frustrated expression at trying to get the upper hand by using brute force. Metagross and Claydol were off on the other side practicing their Psychic moves by levitating random objects out in the back while his Archeops flew around them cawing loudly every so often.

Ultimately, they were a good bunch he was pleased to have befriended over the years.

He heard a clank-like sound beside him and saw his Bisharp enter the kitchen with a passive gaze. The dark-type was probably one of the few pokémon Steven actually let into the house (save for his Archeops who would only stay on its perch in his study) because of its relatively small stature as opposed to everyone else's bulkiness. He found it useful in helping him around the house, but that certainly did not overlook its durability and magnificent power in battle.

"Hey, Bisharp," Steven greeted it though he obviously didn't expect an answer in return. Bisharp brushed past him, heading towards the sliding doors when its master called out, "Oh, since you're going out there why don't you take some Pokéblocks for everyone to share?" He grabbed a few box cases of the snack off the counter and placed them into its hands. It nodded eagerly and took them without question. He watched as his whole team stopped what they were doing and looked to their fellow partner entering the premises. With a few cries of excitement (more so from Aggron and Archeops), they set out towards his Bisharp immediately. Steven could only chuckle in amusement at their obsession for the tiny snack.

From the small distraction, his thoughts seemed to return back to the Sinnoh champion once again. He picked up a knife from its holder on the kitchen island and began to cut up some food he laid out over the countertop.

He was seriously contemplating on visiting the League Headquarters, which would be just a few hours flight on his Archeops' back, but decided against it when he figured he probably wouldn't be able to get in. They certainly had some matters they needed to talk about, however; but against his better judgement, he decided to just wait. Perhaps she'd call him in the next while or so…hopefully, if she ever got the chance to in her packed schedule.

He had to think positively. There was no way they were going to ignore the matter completely. The more he thought about it, the more complicated it seemed to him but he had to remember, they hadn't even spoken yet.

Putting those thoughts aside, he started to think about some of the times they had gotten together over the span of the couple months he had been in Sinnoh before he left to go back to Hoenn. Quite a few of them had been completely coincidental while others they actually took the time to call and ask if they were available. Even though he was on vacation, he hadn't minded the weekly meetings they found themselves in, he had actually looked forward to a lot of them, whether it was through a phone call or a face-to-face conversation.

They had become undeniably close during that time span, nonetheless. He had learned so much about her and she with him. And yet, Steven couldn't help but think there was still more to discover about the Sinnoh champion.

Although he was unsure as to whether their relationship was more than friends at this point, he had the urge to compare it with his relationship he had with Flannery all those years ago when they were together. At that time, he didn't know how relationships actually worked since they were young and practically inexperienced. It was out of deep admiration and that they figured it would work if they tried. And try they did, until their inevitable breakup. But he was glad that it helped him grow as a person. And right now, he was willing to try to make it work with Cynthia.

Whenever she was around, Steven found himself enjoying her presence immensely. There were a number of occasions in the past where his father had tried to set him up on blind dates with some young women his age, which he found to be quite a burden since he wasn't interested in a relationship at the time (he didn't even know why his father even bothered after telling him countless times). Of the times that he did attend a few of them, he never felt much of a connection with any of them, despite their nice personalities. Though it was all in good intentions and how thoughtful it was of his father to try, Steven was far more interested in rocks and his career to care less about his nonexistent love life. However, with the blonde champion he felt drawn to her almost instantly on the night at the gala, something he never quite experienced before.

To think that he would find himself in a situation like this was appalling as he never saw it coming.

Suddenly, he heard a loud bang followed by a groan of anger come from outside in the back, immediately averting his attention from cutting the food. Unfortunately, the noise had caught him completely off guard and caused the knife he was holding to cut into his finger with a sharp pain (though it didn't cut too deep into his skin). He cursed loudly when it happened and immediately sucked on his finger when he saw it start to bleed out. There was an obvious problem outside and since he didn't have the patience to run around the house to find the first aid kit, he took a hand towel to wrap around his finger before going outside to see all the commotion.

When Steven did, he almost immediately saw what had caused the loud noise.

"Aggron…?" His mouth hung open in disbelief at seeing the Iron Armor Pokémon floating in the air upside down by an invisible force. He looked to the two pokémon who could only be responsible for doing it and stared down at his Claydol whose eyes were glowing brightly – no doubt, the culprit here. "Claydol, what are you doing?"

It seemed that in a fit of frustration, his Aggron had tried to use Metal Burst on its fellow teammate judging by the dark marks on the ground. It was rather unusual for his team to want to fight one another but he quickly discovered the cause of the problem at hand when he spotted a Pokéblock case floating beside his Claydol, out of reach from his other pokémon and most definitely out of Aggron's reach. It growled, its mouth open and ready to release another Metal Burst until Steven quickly intervened.

"Whoa there, bud, don't use Metal Burst!" He flailed his arms in front of its face to prevent the attack from happening. "Claydol, put him down now!" The Psychic-type did as told and set its teammate down, but not at all too gently. Aggron landed on its stomach with a thud. "Honestly, if you guys can't learn to share with each other, what's the use of giving these out?" He had caught the Pokéblock case when it was released from Claydol's Psychic and began to head back inside, not in the greatest of moods anymore. He yelped in surprise when suddenly he fell forward to the ground from something solid tackling him from behind.

"Ow – what the…?" Steven struggled to sit up, only to find his Archeops had landed on his back, bringing him down from its weight, and was attempting to grab hold of the Pokéblock case in his hands with its beak. "Hey, get off me, Archeops! That's enough Pokéblocks for everyone." He was suddenly overcome by more weight adding atop him when his Aggron and Armaldo decided to join in on the dog pile, not being gentle in the slightest. "…G-Guys…too heavy…ah, hey!" With dismay, he felt the case slip out of his fingers when he saw Bisharp standing above him with the object in its possession. If he didn't know any better, he swore he saw it smirking smugly at him. "Bisharp, give it back!"

But the dark/steel-type ignored its master's orders and took it back to where its other teammates stood. Immediately, the three large pokémon that had been crushing him from underneath got up and bounded towards Bisharp, eager to receive their share of the treat being handed out. The ex-champion felt soreness and throbbing pain shoot up his entire body. When he managed to sit up, his pokémon were thankfully not arguing or fighting any longer as his Bisharp handed out the snack evenly with everyone. They all cried out happily once they received their share.

Steven laughed in amusement at their playfulness. Even though they were known as some of the strongest pokémon in the world, he couldn't believe how childish they could be over such a small treat. If there was one thing in life that managed to bring a smile to his face, it was definitely the playful nature of his entire team.

* * *

**Kind of description heavy, I know. I do like writing dialogue (especially if it's just utter fluff!) but what's a story without descriptions every once in a while? And what's a Pokémon story without human-Pokémon interaction?**

**To clear things up and prevent confusion, they are _not_ quite together yet. Why? Because of reasons that will get explained in the next chapter. :) Thanks for reading! And if I don't update tomorrow, I'm wishing happy holidays to everyone! Hope you all have a good one. ;)**


	20. Overwhelmed

_Overwhelmed_

* * *

To say she was feeling fine would have been an understatement. For Cynthia, the past few days couldn't be any more overwhelming.

The preparations for the Championship Tournament was beginning to get to her as she was constantly being bombarded with different things she would need to be aware of by the tech crew in charge of overseeing the tournament went without a hitch. It seemed pointless since there was no telling if the trainer would even make it past all of the Elite Four in the end. She reckoned that all she would need to know would be to just fight alongside her pokémon and believe in them to snag the win.

But she couldn't be more wrong.

The crew had informed her of having to make a small introductory speech (which was going to be broadcast throughout the region, to her luck) that would have to last for five minutes. She would also need to practice a grand entrance if ever she was going to enter the battlefield if the trainer ever made it that far. Though, Cynthia reminded herself often not to underestimate what might lie ahead. She had watched the winner during the Sinnoh League Tournament's Finals Round and made sure to study his strategies in battle carefully so she could hopefully be able to workaround them. That, in itself, had taken up a good portion of one of the evenings she had free time off for herself.

On top of that, she would need to train and practice with her team so that they would perform to the best of their ability if they were to ever go on the field. She was also aiming to have her Garchomp perfect the ultimate dragon-type move that it learned on a whim one day to use in the tournament; that move being Draco Meteor. It would certainly be an impressive sight to behold as well as a big feat for her as a trainer to have it master the powerful technique. So far, things were moving along well, but the tournament was only in a few days. If she wanted it to reach her expectations for the day of, they were all going to have to work hard. However, even if they couldn't, she still had faith that Garchomp and the rest of her team would perform spectacularly. The managed to get her this far in her career, and she remained confident that they could keep it that way.

There was also the fact that she was aware of having received multiple calls from Steven during the couple days after they had dinner together. She had been meaning to call back and speak with him, but the only free time she had to herself was only at the end of the days when she'd retire to her room. Even then, the blonde would only have the sole intention to sleep away her exhaustion for the day.

It was quite a stressful time, and she would have been able to handle it all if she hadn't also recently found out her grandfather had fallen ill back in Celestic Town. It scared her tremendously, and tried to remain assured that he was certainly getting the best help there was. He had spirit, for a man in his old age. Cynthia could only pray that he would be all right. But her worry seemed to interfere greatly with her work as the thought kept nagging the back of her mind when she tried to focus.

Things were not working to her favour, these days. She couldn't wait for the tournament to hurry up and pass already so things would get less hectic.

The oldest member of the Elite Four was aware of the champion's tight schedule and unusual behaviour lately. She had noticed the young champion awake at an ungodly hour into the morning, one day, when she came down to the kitchens. With her long blonde hair in slight disarray with the black ornaments taken out and wearing a black silk robe over her nightwear, Bertha guessed the young woman came down just before she was about to go to bed. And upon seeing her, she instantly decided to personally take matters into her own hands.

"Cynthia, dear, why are you still awake and down here?" the older woman said calmly when she saw the blonde sitting at the counter, a cup of tea in hand as she looked over some papers scattered in front of her.

The Sinnoh champion merely glanced up at the ground-type master before returning her attention back to the notes. "There are a few things I forgot to look at earlier," was her reply as she set down her cup. "But I'm almost done. Maybe another ten minutes or so."

Bertha smiled faintly. "My dear, I feel you might have lost track of time," she said, this time catching Cynthia's complete attention. Her grey eyes gazed questioningly at the elder. "It's nearly three in the morning."

Her mouth hung open in shock. "Three in the morning?!" the blonde exclaimed. She rubbed the side of her temples, groaning slightly. "I feel like I've hardly gotten anything done."

"You've been working nonstop for the past few days." She opened the cupboard and reached up to grab a glass from the shelf but Cynthia was quick to move around the counter and get it for her. She proceeded to pour the water she wanted herself. It was almost second nature for her to help out the elderly after having grown up with her grandparents as a child. "I think everyone would agree that you've gotten _quite a bit_ of things done already." Then the grey-haired woman gazed skeptically at the champion beside her. "Although, I have a feeling that's not the only thing that's keeping you up right now, correct?"

Cynthia handed her the glass and sighed, leaning back against the counter with her arms crossed.

"It's nothing you need to be concerned about, really," she replied seeing no sense in having to burden others around her with her woes, but the older woman thought otherwise.

"Well, maybe letting it out of your system by talking about it will help," Bertha replied. "I'm all ears right now."

The blonde smiled weakly. The oldest of the Elite Four was a very caring person. In times like these, she was always willing to lend a helping hand and was never afraid to give out advice, when needed, no doubt from the vast knowledge the woman had accumulated over the years. Oftentimes, she reminded Cynthia of her grandmother who was as equally knowledgeable and also a great listener. From day one as her role of Champion, she immediately felt welcomed into the League family by Bertha and the rest of the Elite Four. It made way for a tight group of people she knew she could trust.

Cynthia took in a breath before she spoke, "It's my grandfather," she explained quietly. "He's…fallen ill rather suddenly, from what my family back in Celestic have said, and I feel horrid knowing I'm over here not doing much to help." She sighed and looked to the ceiling. "I understand that it could just be a small thing, but he's getting old and it's hard not to think otherwise."

She felt a gentle hand rest on her shoulder. "That's rather unfortunate to hear." Cynthia could hear the disappointment in Bertha's voice and couldn't agree more to what she said. "How are things right now, do you know?"

The champion grimaced. "He's in the care of the best healers in town, is what my sister told me a couple days ago," she replied.

"I'm sure they are doing everything to help, dear, don't worry."

"How can I not worry?!" Cynthia shouted rather suddenly. She saw the older woman's gaze remain indifferent to her sudden outburst, however, but that didn't stop the guilt rising in the pit of her stomach. "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for," her voice came out quieter this time as she looked away in shame. She knew better than to have raised her voice at an elder, her grandparents taught her that much. But with the weight of everything happening around her, it was only a matter of time before she took out her temper. Unfortunately it had to be on the person she had high respect for.

Bertha set her glass down and looked sternly at the young champion. "I understand things are rough for you currently, Cynthia," she began softly. "But thinking about the worst-case scenario is only going to make you feel worse. Right now, staying positive is your best solution here since neither of us can tell what will happen in the future. I'm sure even your grandfather would want that for you."

She was definitely right, of course. Cynthia could just imagine her grandfather teasing her because of her solemn expression if he were there to see. Knowing him, he would no doubt try to convince her that everything would be all right. She wouldn't know that for sure, but it would make her feel a whole lot better if she tried.

The feeling of disgrace still lingered within her. "I know, I just..." She sighed. "Things are just stressful, right now."

"I know, dear, I know," Bertha said, patting the champion's shoulder. "Just don't give up, is all I'm saying."

The blonde stayed silent before the Elite Four member spoke again.

"Also, though I doubt the challenger will be able to make it past me," the older woman said jokingly. "It is probably better to stay focused if you are ever to go up on the battlefield. Arceus knows how long I've been the only woman here in the League Headquarters until you showed up. It'd be a shame to go back to how things used to be with four other men living under this roof."

Cynthia managed a smile at this. "I'm sure it wasn't all that bad before me."

"No, you're right," Bertha said. The blonde raised a brow. "It became worse when Flint showed up as a new member to the Elite Four." To this, Cynthia laughed while the ground-type master only shook her head in dismay. "That boy and his loud music…It's why I came downstairs, you know. I tried knocking on his door but he didn't open it."

"He probably fell asleep forgetting his stereo was still on," the champion replied. "I'll have Lucario bust through his door, if anything," she offered. Bertha might have taken it as a joke but she was serious about it. Out of the five of them, the fire-type user was the loudest and unrestrained, oftentimes proving to be quite a handful to the rest of the league members.

The older woman smiled. "I think it's time you finally retire for bed, dear," she said. "I'll be sure to tell the Tournament crew that you'll be coming in late today to let you get a few extra hours of sleep."

Cynthia gaped. "Oh Bertha, you don't have – "

"You can thank me later, dear," was all Bertha said before she readied herself to set off to her room again. "By the way, I'm thinking, once this Tournament's over, we all take a weeklong vacation. Wouldn't that be nice? To take the load off of our shoulders and just relax." She smiled to herself. "Oh, and also, I must tell you that I happened to meet a young man around your age, the other day, who I'm sure you'd get along with quite well – "

The blonde's face turned pink at the mention of her words. "Ah, that isn't necessary, Bertha, really…" Her thoughts had gone towards Steven immediately.

"Why ever not?" she inquired. Cynthia didn't answer but Bertha managed to catch the sight of her bright pink cheeks and her eyes widened in revelation as she gasped loudly. "My dear, have you...met someone?"

"Yes! I mean, sort of – well, not really, but…kind of, except we're not actually - " Her words came out all at once in a jumble of incoherent phrases. She couldn't believe herself. It didn't help that the older woman was giving her a look of obvious shock since she had mentioned countless times to her before she was not interested in a relationship yet. "I-It's rather complicated, right now."

Bertha's smile was as big as Mt. Coronet. "Well, when you_ do_ get things sorted out, please be sure to come by me any time. I'd like to know all the details as to who this man is." She winked. "Goodnight, Cynthia." She left the kitchen after that, leaving Cynthia standing by the counters, appearing dumbfounded as she tried to process what had just transpired between them. She never would have guessed Bertha to be quite the gossip, despite her calm exterior.

Cynthia headed off to her room to retire for the night soon after. When she woke up a few hours later to her alarm clock so she could get ready for the day, she remembered Bertha telling her she'd take care of having the young champion come in late to sleep in. At the thought, she smiled with relief and dropped her head to her pillows only to fall asleep seconds later.

* * *

**I was meaning to post this yesterday but FanFiction was being a little screwy with me (and I think everyone else too) because I couldn't access my account all day. :(**

**Anyway, this was quite a fun chapter to write. As always, thank you for reading! We are officially a fifth of the way to the end!**


	21. Pride

_Pride_

* * *

"You free to lend me a hand here, Stone?"

Steven looked up from the spot he was currently digging in with a trowel on the ground. "Sure thing." He got up and went over to where the Canalave City gym leader stood, his Bronzor floating beside him. "What do you need?"

"Mind brushing away some of the dirt down there?" Byron pointed with his shovel to a spot where a peculiar white looking stone was protruding from the earth below them. "I think Roark took my hand brush when he decided to go to the other side of the cave."

Steven nodded and obliged the older man's request. He had been invited by Byron and Roark to accompany them on a trip to Iron Island, telling him they might have found a few fossils the young heir would be interested in taking a look at for himself. Needless to say, he accepted the offer wholeheartedly knowing he had nothing planned that day for himself. But more so he needed to find something to do to distract himself.

Cynthia had called him the day before, some few hours before the Championship Tournament started (the winner happened to have made it past three members of the Elite Four before inevitably losing to Lucian in the end; Steven had watched it all unfold on TV that day). He was relieved to hear from her again, despite not having spoken to her for nearly a week. He understood the responsibilities she had to fulfill during this time and needed not an explanation from her. She had wanted to speak with him just as much as he did but had to inform him she wold need to take time off to visit her ill grandfather after the tournament ended. He could sense the deep worry in her voice and ultimately resected her wishes, telling him he'd be there to listen whenever she was ready.

Though, after having that conversation with her, it was rather difficult to get the matter off his mind.

Which was why coming on this trip to Iron Island served as a distraction, for the young man – just so he wouldn't find himself lounging around back at his villa, brooding over his conflicted emotions. It was working so far. Steven almost always found himself immersed and focused when it came to work like this, anyway.

The brush in his hand moved back and forth with fluidity as he got closer and closer to revealing what exactly Byron had found. The gym leader was expecting to find some fossils around these parts, explaining why he was taking precautionary measures with whatever piece of stone that might represent the ancient artifacts, so they would not get damaged. However, as Steven got down to it, he realized they were far from getting to where they wanted.

"It's just an Everstone," Steven announced with dismay when he brushed off most of the dirt. He picked it up in his hand, feeling the smooth surface of the light grey rock, and held it out to the gym leader above him. Byron frowned but took the stone from him anyway.

The older man sighed. "Damn, and here I thought we hit the big loot," he said, stabbing the ground with his shovel. He scratched his chin as if he were deep in thought. "Maybe Roark's got better luck than we do?"

"We could go check," Steven suggested, moving to grab his backpack full of tools off the ground. "We've pretty much covered most of this area anyway."

Byron nodded in agreement, balancing his shovel over his shoulder and started leading the way with his Bronzor following closely beside him.

Steven recalled meeting him many years ago when he was enlisted by his father to help build the connecting tunnel between Rustboro City and Verdanturf Town – that is, Rusturf Tunnel. At the time, Steven had still been a wandering trainer and was rather fond of the chance to meet a fellow trainer specializing in steel-types like him. He grew to respect the man and had been in close contact with him ever since, often sharing stories of their expeditions with one another like old friends.

With good company beside him, Steven had an easier time trying to get his mind off of worrying over Cynthia and how her family was doing. He had never heard her sound so worried during her phone call, which made him feel worried as well.

They walked through the cave down the way Roark had gone through earlier and soon came to an opening where light from outside was shining in. Steven followed Byron outside and immediately had to cover his eyes from the bright sun. They had stayed inside the cave for a few hours now and would needed his eyes to get readjusted to the sunlight.

Suddenly, he heard pokémon cries, as if they were fighting, coming from behind a large rock that obstructed their view of whatever was on the other side. Byron looked around and frowned.

"How strange, Roark should have been here," he said.

"I think I hear some pokémon behind that rock," Steven said and proceeded to investigate. What he saw was something he certainly wasn't expecting to have seen – a pokémon battle between two trainers.

"Lucario, Aura Sphere!"

"Luxray, use Thunder Fang."

Steven watched the two pokémon on the field obey their trainers' commands and battle it out against one another. He recognized the trainer commanding the Lucario to be Riley, the man he had become acquainted with the first time he came to Iron Island. The other trainer, another young man with blond hair spiked in every direction, commanded the Luxray. The ex-champion didn't recognize the blond trainer as easily, but could tell that his Luxray was very powerful if it was able to put up with Riley's powerful Lucario.

The electric pokémon had managed to avoid the incoming Aura Sphere and leaped forward to bite its opponent with Thunder Fang to counterattack. The attack sent Lucario falling to the ground in a state of paralysis when Luxray let go and the electric waves passed through it. The black and blue pokémon didn't react to its opponent's downfall; instead its red eyes watched carefully, awaiting its trainer's next command.

"Lucario!" Riley called out, but his partner failed to respond as it lay on the ground, feeling the after effects of the electric move course through its body rendering it completely immobile.

The blond-haired trainer then calmly said, "Finish it with Discharge."

Focusing on the energy within it, his Luxray began charging up great amounts of electrical energy before releasing the electricity in a vibrant blue color from its body straight towards Riley's Lucario still on the ground. It writhed in pain from the impact and was promptly knocked out afterwards.

"Looks like Lucario's unable to battle," a familiar male voice spoke. Steven looked at Roark who had been standing off to the side, acting as a referee for the match the entire time. "Luxray is the winner!"

Both trainers recalled their Pokémon back into their poké balls and shook hands at the center of the makeshift battlefield.

"You're pokémon are very powerful, Volkner," Riley said to the blond trainer. "No wonder you're the eighth gym leader for a reason."

Volkner smirked triumphantly. "Compared to all the challenges I've been getting lately at my gym, that was pretty fun, to be honest," he said. "It's starting to get a little boring around Sunyshore nowadays."

Riley then turned to Roark. "Thank you for overseeing the match, Roark. I apologize if we've taken up much of your time."

The redhead just shrugged. "It's okay, really," he told him. "I haven't seen a battle as incredible as that one in ages, to be honest! I'm honoured to have refereed!" His gaze wander over to where Steven and Byron were standing, having only watched a snippet of the pokémon battle themselves. "Hey, Dad! Hey, Steven!"

His eyes had glanced over to where the two men stood, "Roark, I thought you were working?" Byron sternly asked once they met up with the group.

His son laughed sheepishly. "Sorry 'bout that, Dad," he apologized. "I met up with these two once I got out here like you asked but I couldn't resist being a witness to their battle. They're both really good trainers! Maybe even better than you, Dad." Roark added that last bit jokingly.

"Watch your tongue there, son," Byron mused, ruffling the hair on his son's head due to the lack of his usual helmet. He shifted his attention to the two newcomers and nodded at them. "Riley, Volkner, good to see you two again."

"Likewise," Riley responded and Volkner just nodded.

"Ah, Steven, I don't suppose you're acquainted with these two…?"

"I've met Riley already," Steven replied smiling at the dark-haired man. He looked at the man named Volkner who met his similar gaze with blue eyes.

"Volkner," the blond introduced himself. "I run the gym in Sunyshore City."

The ex-champion nodded. "Steven Stone." He held out a hand. "From Hoenn."

Volkner shook the man's hand and widened his eyes upon a sudden realization of who he was. "Steven Stone…? As in, the former champion?"

Steven smiled kindly. He got this type of reaction many times in the past with new people he'd be introduced to in Sinnoh. It didn't surprise him much that he was recognized by Volkner. "Yes, indeed," he replied.

"Former champ or not, this man's battling skills are superb," Byron praised him, putting a strong hand on his shoulder. "Why, I'd think that you're even more of a steel-type master than I am, Stone."

He laughed and shook his head modestly. "I can hardly say I agree to that, Byron."

"Surely your pokemon must be extremely powerful if they managed to get you the champion title," Riley said with a kind smile. "Not every trainer out there demonstrates the powerful bond between trainer and pokémon."

Steven chuckled. "Well, I guess there's that part you must take into consideration, as well."

* * *

Sometime later, the five of them had decided to take a break and sit down chatting amongst one another like they'd known each other forever. Byron's enthusiasm was the main drive to keeping up a conversation between all of them. He asked Volkner why he had come all that way from Sunyshore City, since Iron Island was completely on the other side of the region. The blond revealed it was because he wanted to get out of the boring routine of his gym duties for a while since nearly every challenger who visited would get shut down by his team, posing almost no challenge or enjoyment at all for him. Having been old friends with Riley, the dark-haired man offered to invite him over to train together to serve as his opportunity to get away from the gym.

It was no surprise to the other two gym leaders as they often heard stories of the man closing up his gym for long periods of time. Byron mentioned that even Hearthome City's Gym Leader, Fantina, was also known for leaving on small journeys and closing up the gym for indefinite amounts of time, as well.

"While it's not recommended, there are no rules against doing such a thing, as long as gyms aren't closed for over a month," Byron explained. "Only then will the League committee interfere."

"I'll probably go back in a few days," Volkner spoke out calmly. "Though I'm not expecting much from any new challengers."

Suddenly, they heard a phone ringing amongst them. Roark was the one to react with a jump when he felt the vibrations from his pocket. He took out a small, durable looking phone and widened his eyes at the caller's name.

Byron didn't appear surprised, however, merely chuckling to himself. "It's your girl, isn't it, son?"

Roark's cheeks reddened at his comment and just nodded slightly. "I-I've got to take this," he said to the group. "Excuse me." He got up after that and walked out of earshot from the others when he finally answered the phone.

The older man grinned. "I see that boy nearly every week, and almost every time, he always gets a interrupted by Gardenia," he mused. "Love is a beautiful thing, eh, fellas?"

None of them actually responded. They only stared.

"Do you boys even know what I'm talking about?" Byron prompted them further from their blank expressions.

To Steven, love was a strong word. He knew what love was, no doubt – he loved his parents and his friends. They cared for one another equally, but he could tell that wasn't exactly the context in which Byron was trying to imply here.

After a few seconds of silence, Riley spoke out, "Why Volkner, I seem to recall you have an opinion on such a topic." He smirked at the blond's shocked expression and the glare he was sending towards him.

"Do you, now?" Byron directed towards the blond, a glint of interest in his eye.

"I don't," the blond said.

"You sure?"

"Yes."

Riley pinched his chin with his thumb and finger, deep in thought. "But you _do_ have a rather extensive fan base, Volkner," he chimed in. "Particularly with a lot of the women here in Sinnoh."

Volkner shrugged and looked away nonchalantly. "I'm not interested in that right now," he replied simply.

"What about that visiting girl from the lighthouse city in Johto?" Riley bluntly said with a smirk. Everyone looked to him while Volkner's previously calm expression had changed to complete utter shock.

Byron laughed loudly. "Hit the jackpot!" the older man exclaimed.

The blond's cheeks turned a visible shade of pink as he looked away again. "H-How did you…no - I don't know what you're talking about."

But the man continued to laugh in amusement. "Denial is written all over your face, young man. You don't have to be shy about it. We're talking all in good fun here."

Volkner grimaced. "I don't see how talking about a nonexistent relationship is 'all in good fun'. If you must know, Jasmine is just a friend."

The whole conversation was amusing to Steven. He knew Byron was just poking fun at his fellow gym leader. It was always in his nature. But the man knew how to be professional, most definitely. He remembered the first time he met him, Byron and his father had a rather deep conversation on matters regarding the tunnel's construction. They both had come up with the same idea that construction should halt as the Whismur living in the cave were becoming greatly agitated by the workers in there. It showed how he had a sense for pokémon feelings and since then, he was one of Steven's role models, despite his questioning behaviour sometimes.

The ex-champion looked at Byron who was suddenly staring at him with a smirk on his face. Steven blinked in confusion but the man had glanced away before he could ask anything further.

* * *

Later on that day, when they finally decided to head back to the mainland, Roark, Byron, and Steven said their goodbyes and headed to the docks to wait for the man who took them over to the island earlier that day to come back and get them. Roark was off to the side, still on the phone with Gardenia who had him talking with her for the past few hours. The rock-type gym leader didn't appear irked in the slightest, but in fact had been smiling happily the entire time. Byron mentioned that, "He reminds me of myself when I was young."

"When you were head over heels with someone?" Steven asked with a smile as they stood by the docking area.

The gym leader nodded. "My wife – Roark's mother – to be frank," he said with a sad smile. Steven had known about his wife's passing a long time ago and couldn't help but feel sympathetic towards him right now. "Best days of your life are when you find that you're in love…or at least, interested in someone. Everyone's got that kind of weakness, I like to think." He glanced over at him. "What about you, Stone?"

The rock maniac stared blankly.

He elaborated, "Anyone you find interesting lately?" He then added, "I don't mean to pry, of course."

Steven smiled. "It's quite all right," was his reply. He had to think over his next words carefully. There didn't seem to be any harm in discussing the matter with Byron since he had full trust in him not to judge or say anything otherwise. It _was_ him and Wake who introduced him to her, after all.

"But I guess you could say that, yes," Steven said but then chuckled at himself. "Actually, I'm rather certain of it."

Byron raised a brow and stabbed his shovel into the ground so he could cross his arms, fully interested in this new bit of information. He cocked his head to the side. "Who's the lucky lady?"

Steven deadpanned, conflicted on deciding whether to tell the man or not. He trusted Byron, of course, but he didn't know if revealing it to him was wise.

"I'm not one to blab secrets, Stone, don't worry." The older man paused. "Unless it's Roark, of course. It's my duty to embarrass my son in any way." Steven laughed at this. "But I know this is serious man-to-man talk right now. But if you're not willing to say it, that's fine by me."

The ex-champion smirked and shook his head. "You all know her," he started, deciding to just come out with it. "Everyone in Sinnoh does because she's your Champion."

He watched the gym leader's eyes widen. "Champion? You mean Cynthia?" Steven nodded. "Wow. Never would have thought you'd have the guts, kid."

Despite coming on this trip to create a distraction for himself, Steven could not deny that Cynthia was always at the back of his mind somewhere. Thinking about her now left him feeling warm and fuzzy all over. What Byron had said, about days of realizing you are interested in someone being amongst the best, seemed very true. Every time he spoke with her, every time he saw her, every time their hands brushed whenever they walked closely to one another – made him feel like he was living out the best moments in his life. He wouldn't trade that feeling for the world.

"I should probably thank you," Steven said with a wide grin on his face.

The other steel-type user looked confused. "For what?" he asked.

"For introducing me to her at the gala."

Byron continued to look confused before realization dawned upon him and he started to chuckle with a knowing smile. They heard the boat horn off in the distance and the boat coming into view soon after. Roark came running back to where they were, his phone finally turned off ("My battery died."). As they all watched the boat getting closer to the dock, Steven smiled to himself. He thought that whether they got together or not, he knew that as long as she was in his life, one way or another, he would still be happy.

* * *

**So there's this thing I've seen fanart for on tumblr called the NEET Trio ('Not in Education, Employment, or Training') consisting of Steven, Riley, and Volkner because at one point or another all three of them are just wandering trainers (in Volkner's case he kinda ditches his gym responsibilities or so the logic goes). And, I dunno, I think they'd make a great group of friends because they share this common trait between them. I guess it's sort of just eye candy also when they are grouped together, haha! Anyway, they'll appear at another point in the story altogether because Steven needs friends in Sinnoh and the NEET Trio fits the spot because…why not?**

**Boring chapter? No? I hope not, haha! But, to be honest, I had trouble with this prompt (this just unfolding randomly in my head as I wrote this). I don't even know how I got this many words written… Three chapters in a row without actual Steven/Cynthia interaction is killing me but that'll all end soon! Like I mean next chapter soon. :) Thanks for reading! (Sorry for the lengthy A/N! Explanations were in order!)**


	22. Depressed

_Depressed_

* * *

Cynthia held Heather's shaking body, in her arms, as her she cried and cried against her older sister. If her sister's tears were soaking her clothes, Cynthia didn't care. She wanted to stop the pain, the sadness, and remorse Heather was feeling. But how could she do that when she, herself, felt the same?

_The doctors…they're lying. He's not really dead._

She looked across the bed to where her grandmother sat, her head bowed down as she held her husband's cold hand with both of her own. She, too, was crying.

_Don't cry. It's not real. He's not…!_

She had spoken to him just the night before, her grandmother and sister also present, in that very room they were currently in. How could this be? How could things have escalated so quickly without warning? Why him? What did they do to deserve this?

The most experienced healers in Celestic had done everything they could before drastic measures were needed when he started feeling chest pains and they had to take her grandfather to the nearest hospital, all the way in Hearthome City. With the doctors' help, they were able to stabilize his heart rate, and everything seemed fine. He was awake the night before, smiling and ready to get back on his feet when he would finally be admitted out of the hospital. They all felt relief at the news. But come the next morning and everything would change forever.

They rushed back to the hospital at five in the morning to find the nurses and doctors surrounding her grandfather's bed. Everything crumbled beneath Cynthia at the sight.

Her thoughts were everywhere inside her mind at this point. She gazed towards the bed now, her grandfather's lifeless body lying there as if he were simply asleep. Cynthia wished that that was what this all was. That he'd open his eyes, sit up, and tell her sister and grandmother they needn't cry any longer. Her grandfather was the first male role model she ever looked up to. His love and devotion for the family, would never be seen again. His sense of humour, while often cheesy and eye rolling, would never be heard again. They would never hear his_ voice_ again.

The aching feeling started to sink in.

Despite trying earlier to hold back her tears, they started to fall freely down her cheeks now, clouding her vision completely. A sob escaped her as she pressed a hand against her mouth.

_He's gone. He's never coming back! Why…?_

Cynthia felt her sister's arms wrap around her even tighter and she, in return, did the same.

_Why did this have to happen?_

* * *

Steven's worry started to increase tenfold. He hadn't had contact with Cynthia in over a week since the Championship Tournament came and went. There was a sinking feeling deep within him that something wasn't right because even as he tried to call her, she would not return any of them. He stopped calling a few days ago, but that didn't stop the confusion from rising. Was it that she was avoiding him? What reason was there to do such a thing? No, he knew she wasn't like that. She wasn't one to just ignore someone completely, especially those she might have cared about.

He had to convince himself that everything was all right with her. The situation with her grandfather might have been even more complicated than he thought and for that he had to be patient. But with every day that had passed by so far, his concern for her started to grow. He tried calling the Pokémon League Headquarters once, but was met with no success as he was told nothing helpful. It should have been obvious, however, as the League was keen on protecting the privacy of the Elite Four and Champion. But it seemed like his only liable option to turn to, at this point.

And so, he decided on a complete whim one day, that he'd finally work up the courage to visit the headquarters in person. He only wanted some sort of explanation or clue as to Cynthia's whereabouts and how she was faring. Of course, he wasn't expecting to be given that privilege let alone be able to enter the building at all. But he decided to try anyway.

Steven stood in front of the building entrance when he flew over to the secluded island with the raging waterfall below it. He couldn't help but think that many League Headquarters in certain regions were always located at the top of a waterfall or mountain, to mark their special significance to the trainer society as the peak of a trainer's career.

The whole building was shaped like a castle – a huge arch-like entrance with many turret towers were built into sides of the castle-like building. A glowing white poké ball symbol was plastered just above the entrance to mark the building's purpose as the Sinnoh League Headquarters. He had never seen anything like it before. Making an old castle the League Headquarters was an astounding idea. In comparison to his home region, the Hoenn League Headquarters was a more modernized building, having been built only recently twenty years ago. This one told a story of its long standing history as an old castle, marking back to possibly the earliest sixteenth century. Needless to say, Steven was blown away at the sight.

He hadn't even taken one step towards the building when he suddenly saw a figure step out from the entrance shadows, an older man with a stern look in his dark eyes as he stared Steven down. Steven deduced that he was a guard of some sort to the building by his formal attire consisting of a dark button up suit and white gloves. He had a short, dark beard and was at least half a head taller than Steven.

The man stood in front of him. "This is a private building, visitors are not allowed," he told him in an equally intimidating tone as the stare he was sending the ex-champion. "You have no business here, please leave."

Steven cleared his throat and put on his charming smile reserved for these kinds of situations. "Forgive me for intruding," he said with a tone that boasted his true standing as the future CEO to his father's company (taught none other than by his father, of course). "My name is Steven Stone, former Champion of Hoenn and heir to Devon Corporations." He paused to gauge in the man's expression. He only held a look of indifference at the young man's words. "I only wanted to know if the Sinnoh Champion was here right now."

"That information, I cannot disclose with you," the man said simply, holding his chin up. "Champion of Hoenn or not, there are no exceptions," he said it rather wearily, as if he did not believe Steven was the man he said he was.

Nonetheless, he continued, "Ah, but you see I am a rather close friend of hers, and I was only curious to where she might -"

"Sir, I must ask you to leave the premises now. I cannot allow for you to be here any longer."

The man took a warning step forward, which Steven had promptly stepped back in response but he was not ready to give up. "Wait, please hear me out…" Suddenly, the man looked past him and over his shoulder. Then the man stood completely erect and then suddenly bowed, one arm over his chest. Steven looked behind him to where the guard had been staring at earlier and raised a brow in recognition of one of the Elite Four members coming in. She was one of the Elite Four members of Sinnoh he was actually acquainted with.

"Lady Bertha," the guard greeted her.

When Steven met eyes with her, she smiled at him. "Well, well, what a pleasant surprise this is," the old lady said when she walked up beside them. "Hello, Mr. Stone." The guard stood up straight when he heard Bertha's tone of cognition.

"Hello, Bertha," Steven said with a small smile.

"Whatever are you doing here, dear boy?" she asked him. "It isn't every day that we get a visit from a former champion."

Steven could see through his peripherals that the guard was gaping in utter shock. "C-Champion…?" he heard him utter quietly.

He said to her, "I wanted to know -"

"Oh, forgive me, I realize this isn't an appropriate place to have a conversation in," she suddenly interjected, effectively cutting him off. "Please, follow me." And then she started walking into the League Headquarters.

The ex-champion had the urge to glance towards the guard's obvious star struck expression but decided against it and followed the old lady into the building. The entire architecture of the inside blew his mind from the high ceilings and marble pillars holding up in infrastructure throughout the main lobby area. It was clear that the building had been refurbished from its ancestral history in the recent years. But to think the Sinnoh League members had the privilege to live in a place like this was rather appalling.

He followed the Elite Four member through the halls until they came to a room which appeared to be a sitting area. The room was quite large, with bookcases completely filled with books lined up against the wall opposite the stone fireplace on the other side. A few couches were in the middle facing the fireplace as Bertha asked Steven to make himself comfortable when she left the room to get some tea. He promptly offered to assist her but she insisted he stay put as he was a guest to the headquarters.

Bertha came back several minutes later with a tea tray, in hand. The contents on top appeared to be quite heavy but he was surprised that she was handling it with relative ease.

"Our Champion happens to be rather fond over tea, you know, which is why we have so much in the kitchens," she told him when she handed him a cup. The smell was familiar. He smiled, knowing firsthand as to what she was talking about. After exchanging the usual pleasantries, Steven was carefully sipping at his cup when she went on to ask, "Well then, what exactly brings you here to the headquarters, Mr. Stone?"

Steven stared into his tea for a moment before glancing back up at the Elite Four trainer. "Cynthia wouldn't happen to be here right now, would she?"

He saw a momentary frown flash across Bertha's face at the mention of the champion's name. In the process, she had somehow managed to spill some of the tea from her cup on the carpet and sighed in annoyance at herself. Steven made to go over and help her mop up the spilled liquid but she shook her head, gesturing him to sit back down. All of this happened in silence, making Steven a little apprehensive over Bertha's rather unusual behaviour.

She set her cup down and stared at him, no smile present across her face. "No, she's not," the woman replied simply.

Steven suppressed a sigh. "I-I…you wouldn't happen to know where she is, would you?" he asked a bit hesitantly.

Bertha raised a curious brow. "That isn't information I can just reveal to a stranger." She folded her hands in her lap. "I wasn't under the impression that you two were close."

"I know her, we're friends," he said earnestly. He understood Bertha's skepticism and could do nothing but try to convince her. "I worry for her right now, she told me her grandfather was ill a week ago and I haven't heard from her since."

At this her eyes gazed into her lap, silence overcoming her. He knew Cynthia wouldn't tell just about anyone the condition of a family member and knew that by saying that did the trick. When she spoke, her voice was soft, "So, you know of her grandfather's illness." Steven nodded. "But you don't know what happened to him?"

A sense of fear and foreboding hit him. "What…happened?" he asked slowly.

Her brown eyes were filled with uncertainty. "Her grandfather died, Steven," she said finally. "She hasn't been here in about a week since the incident."

The feeling of dread and sorrow filled his heart. He wasn't sure what he was expecting to find out about Cynthia, but this certainly wasn't what he was hoping to hear. Her grandfather's condition was definitely worse than Steven might have thought it to be. It never occurred for the inevitable to happen, even for a man his old age. He recalled the memories of that time he was invited over to their family house for dinner, meeting her grandfather and enjoying the lively conversation they shared.

He could only imagine the grief her family was feeling, however. Though he wanted to see her again more than ever, he knew she needed space during times like this. He wasn't about to overload her with their relationship at this point.

"You care for her, don't you?"

Steven shot his head up, not realizing he had been lost in his own thoughts. He nodded and responded, "I do."

A faint smile lit up her features. "I can tell by that look on your face, Mr. Stone," she said when he began looking at her in wonder. "You know, I remember her coming back to the headquarters, one morning a few weeks ago, completely ecstatic and happy. When I had asked her, she said nothing but I could tell there was much more to the story than that."

Her words made him think of the night they had dinner together, when they walked around the park, and she kissed him. It felt like ages ago but he could remember every single moment perfectly as he, too, felt completely ecstatic.

"Why, she even admitted to me there was _someone_ she had taken a fond liking to." At this, Steven's ears perked up, his cheeks turning slightly pink at the thought of Cynthia saying something like that. Bertha was quick to catch his reaction and smiled. "I wonder…?"

The look she was sending him didn't do well for Steven as his face burned brighter. She eyed him suspiciously, the ex-champion wondering what on earth the woman was thinking right now. "Er…"

Bertha shook her head. "I'm probably analyzing this too much," he heard her say under her breath. She looked at him again, her tone more serious this time around. "It would be wise to leave her be for the time being, however. Even I don't know when she will be coming back, to be perfectly honest." Steven nodded at her advice, having thought the exact same thing earlier. "But Steven, if she reaches out to you – if she ever does, let her know there are people who still care for her. Our Champion is not perfect at handling overly stressful times like these, which is why I ask that you do this much for her."

Knowing this much, Steven thanked Bertha for her hospitality and left the headquarters to fly home. The next day he visited Veilstone City and decided to sit at the café he liked to frequent, contemplating on the advice Bertha had given him. If Cynthia were to reach out to him, he was going to be there for her at a time like this, as a friend. If she needed a shoulder to cry on or a listening ear, he would do it without question. It was in his nature for those he cared about.

He didn't want her to push him away, which was the thing he feared the most. Steven couldn't bear the thought of knowing that. He liked her too much to have to accept such a fate.

He might have sat there for a few minutes, maybe a few hours, when his phone started to vibrate in his pocket. The ex-champion took it out and needed only one glance at the caller ID to feel shock and surprise in his system.

"Cynthia?"

* * *

Cynthia returned to her grandparents' house with her sister and grandmother after the small funeral service, no one speaking a word. Her sister's normally uplifting and happy expression was replaced with a solemn, hollow one that mirrored her own. Her grandmother had tried her best to be strong for the two siblings but the champion knew inside she was breaking apart from the incident. She often heard her crying in her room at night when she, herself, oftentimes could not fall asleep.

It was an uncomfortable time for everyone in the house, even for her pokémon. They had learned a lot from her grandfather in the past and felt the same grief for him as she did. Villagers and other townspeople sent their condolences for the family, knowing how hard it must be for them. Cynthia appreciated their concern, but none of that was able to quell the sorrow she felt inside.

At night, Heather would come into her room quietly, unable to sleep on her own from the heartache keeping her up. Like the caring sister she was, Cynthia would let her into her bed, holding her close, and wanting to help in any way she could. She vaguely remembered doing this when their parents died while they were still children. Heather would climb up beside her, sometimes sobbing lightly from a nightmare, while Cynthia just wrapped her arms around her, as if to protect her baby sister from the bad dreams and memories from getting to her.

Conversation in the house was hardly evident, even at dinner. There were no words to be spoken as the air in the room felt empty by one less person sitting at the table. She spent most of her days at the family house in her room, only coming out to eat whenever her grandmother called. Even then, she hardly had any appetite.

While in her room, Cynthia would just lie there, letting the pain and remorse engulf her or when sleep decided to take over her mind. It wasn't healthy, but she was in no condition to want to do anything productive or worthwhile anymore. She was unsure of what to do until she picked up her phone one day.

She scrolled through the call history, noticing Steven had called her a couple times days earlier until they happened to just stop.

Cynthia felt terrible for having not picked up; have let his calls go straight to voicemail. Seeing his frequent attempts to make contact with her didn't annoy her, but seeing them suddenly stop made her curious. There wasn't a clue as to why it was. Perhaps he had found out? The only people she told were the other League members, however. For Steven to go to through that, all for her sake, sounded ridiculous.

It'd been over a week since she last made contact with him, Cynthia was well aware. He was probably worried sick about her. Perhaps he had even given up on her, thinking she was trying to ignore him, though she wasn't at all. Still, she would have understood if that were the case. It was a depressing thought but it was a possibility that pervaded her mind. What person would want to deal with her in the state she was in right now, anyway?

However, she was curious to see if that were true. She wanted to apologize to him, for being a bad friend and neglecting him for the longest time.

She wanted to see him again, that thought seemed to cut through the emptiness she was feeling inside.

Almost autonomously, she dialled his number and held the phone to her ear, hearing it ring a few times. If it went to voicemail, she would know.

But the moment he picked up, her breath hitched in her throat.

"_Cynthia_?"

* * *

"Hello?" He heard no sound from the other end. It could have been a misdial, but that seemed unlikely, to him. When Bertha said if she were to reach out to him, he would be ready to support her in any way he could. He just wasn't expecting it to happen so soon.

Steven let the silence fill the receiving end a few seconds more, feeling convinced it might have been a mistake until he heard her.

"_Steven_…" It was soft, barely audible but he heard it.

"Hey, it's me," he said. He was relieved to just hear her voice again, despite it not being full of the energy he was used to.

"_How are you?_"

"I'm fine," he said. Her voice sounded so broken even as she spoke just those few words to him. "H-How are you?"

Steven heard her sigh deeply on her end. "_I'm…okay._" She might have been lying, but he wasn't going to call her out on it. She still didn't know that he knew about the situation at hand. "_I-I wanted to ask if you were busy right now?_"

Her stuttering felt unusual to him, but he remained passive about it. "No, actually, I'm in Veilstone just sitting here at the café." Somehow, that garnered a slight chuckle from her. Of course. He recalled having met up her with him there once out of coincidence. The mere memory made him smile. "Is there something you need?"

There was a slight pause between her response. "_Would you be willing to meet up with me? I'm here at my grandparents' house in Celestic._" He wasn't sure if he heard correctly, but he thought he might have heard the tone of pleading in her words. Almost as if she meant to say, "_I'm lost and I don't know what to do_."

He didn't even need to think about his answer. "Of course, I'll be there right away."

When he stood up to leave, he heard her quietly utter a "_Thank you_" and he was off.

Steven had never wanted to travel to somewhere as much as he did when she asked him to in his life. He hadn't seen her in so long, that he wasn't sure how to react when he finally did. A part of him wanted to embrace her and just hold her, while the other told him to respect her space. It took only an hour for his Archeops to land at the base of the hill up to where her family house was. Once he touched down, Steven steeled himself for what was to come. This wasn't going to be like any other conversation they'd had before, he could tell that much.

He saw her sitting by the front steps of the house, leaning her head against the wooden pole holding up the roof, as she stared at the ground distractedly. Steven could almost feel her grief and sorrow, himself, just by looking at her. The situation at hand had taken an obvious toll on her as he had never seen her so broken like this. When he went through the open front gate, Cynthia spotted him finally. For a moment her grey eyes, that were pink and puffy around the corners, held such a dull look in them when they met gazes with one another. The last time he had seen her was that night at the park; her storm grey eyes were full of mirth, then. It felt strange to see her like this now. She covered that by trying to show him a faint smile, but he could read her true expression like a book.

"Hey," she offered a small greeting when he neared her by the front porch.

He put on a genuine smile, moving to sit down beside her on the front steps. "It's good to see you again, finally." A silence filled the air, a slight wind rustling the trees on the property. The sky was blue still, bright and clear as the sun was still high in its wake. They sat there for a few moments, no body talking until Steven asked, "What did you want to call me here for?"

Her gaze was set elsewhere, her expression showing the conflicted emotions inside. "I'm terribly sorry for whatever worry I might have put you through these past few weeks," she said. "I didn't mean for you to think I didn't want to talk to you."

"You don't need to worry about that," he replied calmly. "Champion duties are nothing to scoff about, I know."

"It's not only that, I – " Her voice halted. Steven heard the struggle to keep herself composed right now. "My grandfather is…" The struggle was real now. Her hair covered the side profile of her face from his view but by the way she was shaking, he knew she was on the brink of crying. At this point, he was immensely tempted to put his arms around her, but he kept them at his side. Steven was unsure if she would even accept the comforting gesture.

"Cynthia – " he began.

"N-No, I'm fine," she tried to assure him. Her uneven tone told him otherwise but he didn't want to argue with her. She reached up to rub the incoming tears out of her eyes, sniffling a little.

"Is everything all right?" Steven had to ask because he was truly concerned for her. Gazing upon her right now, he realized how vulnerable she appeared to the swirl of emotions, no doubt, crushing her from the inside. And just like she had been there for him when he found out about his mother's accident, he wanted to be there for her, to comfort her in her time of need. Anyone experiencing the similar loss that Cynthia faced would feel the same like her. And any person with a heart would want to stop the pain she was facing.

She looked as if she were about to nod, but that soon turned into a shake of her head.

He kept his words to be simple. "Your grandfather, is he…?" he started but they trailed off when she only bowed her head towards her lap. Steven took in a breath. "I-I'm so sorry, Cynthia."

Despite not knowing if she'd accept the gesture or not, he hesitantly placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, half-expecting her to shake it off. But she didn't, and instead seemed to lean into his touch. Steven moved closer to her, sliding his arm to rest around her shoulders now. What she did next took him by surprise. She reciprocated the comforting gesture by leaning her head against his shoulder. Both his arms were around her soon after, as he felt her body shaking again. All the tears in the world couldn't express just how much anguish she was experiencing.

He held her close, the top of her head resting underneath his chin. Her sobs were quiet, her fingers clutching at his shirt as he let her cry into him.

"You're not alone in all of this, remember," he murmured softly, as he rubbed her back gently. "There are people who still care for you out there." _I care for you_, Steven wanted to say, but held it back. For now, just being the shoulder to cry on was fine with him. They'd talk about their other matters later, when she was ready.

Steven kissed the top of her head then, his lips lingering there for more than a fleeting second, whispering words of comfort to her. He was uncertain if his efforts were helpful, but showing that he cared for her was more of a priority to him.

And above all, he just wanted to see her happy once again, for her smile was one of the things he found most beautiful about her. Seeing her like this brought an aching feeling in Steven's chest. If he had the power to make her sorrow go away, he would use it. But simply holding her against him, listening to her sobs as he whispered to her, was all he could do for her at this moment. He only hoped that she realized he wasn't about to go anywhere, not with her in this state she was in.

When her sobs started to diminish and her hold against his shirt slackened, he didn't relinquish his embrace. She didn't move away, either. They just stayed in that position for a little while longer.

Then, he heard her say, "I-I'm so sorry, your shirt is all wet now, Steven."

For some reason, those words made him chuckle. He could only smile as he said, "I can hardly say I'm angry at that, Cynthia." She started to move out of his arms, and he let go of her slowly. Their eyes met with each other, blue clashing against grey. Her eyes might have still been puffy, but that certainly did not affect much of her breathtaking beauty.

Steven, then stood up, her eyes never leaving his though her expression told him she was a bit puzzled. "What - ?"

"Do you want to take a walk?" he asked her, holding out his hand. She took it and he helped her up with a kind smile. "Only if you're willing to, that is."

Cynthia offered him a weak smile. "I'm fine with that," she replied. He started to lead them towards the front gate when Steven suddenly felt her hand grasp his. He looked to her with a raised brow until she appreciatively said, "Thank you."

Hearing those two words somehow brought a warm feeling in his stomach that spread up to his cheeks. She saw this and managed a small chuckle. There was no doubt in his mind that he was on the path to making her feel better at this point. Steven was happy to see some of her true colours showing once again.

* * *

**I think I need to stop it with these long chapters. They take too long to write (plus, I think I stink at emotional chapters like this one…), but it's rather difficult when you have all these ideas. :| Alas, thanks for reading!**


	23. Adoration

_Adoration_

* * *

It took a while before Cynthia was comfortable enough to return to the Pokémon League and return to her champion duties. When she did, the rest of the League members welcomed her back warmly. They made it easy for her to slide back into the swing of things regarding her duties as she had everyone's support with her. The aching sadness was still within her, but with everyone's help, she finally had the motivation to go back to the way things were before. It happened slowly, of course, but she knew her grandfather wouldn't have wanted any of them to feel so hung up about the incident.

It was mostly this thought that got her through the mourning period.

Still, she and her sister found themselves staying at home a lot more with their grandmother. Cynthia worried for the older woman being alone now in the big house but she tried reassuring her granddaughters that she would be fine on her own. She didn't want them worrying so much when they had so much more to look forward to in their lives than having to take care of an old woman like her.

"I certainly don't mind it if you two stop by every once in a while," their grandmother had said one evening during dinner. "But I certainly would hate to see you two – or even one of you – lingering about and fretting over my well-being. This old woman is a lot stronger than you give her credit for."

Her reassurance hardly made the Sinnoh champion feel any better but she took her grandmother's words to heart and put her trust with her. Her grandmother was, after all, the elder of the town. Nothing would be able to get past her, she knew that much.

It was a quiet afternoon when Cynthia found herself lounging in the headquarters' study room, reading up on an old history textbook she thought would eventually spend the rest of the day looking over. She lay across one of the sofas in the room. Others might have found it odd that she'd spend her spare time learning instead of relaxing, but that was just how she often spent her days off from any responsibilities. The idea of relaxing and doing nothing, while often desirable after a long day, was less preferred to having the opportunity to catch up on her research.

During her time away, she didn't have the motivation or will to do any of that. But now that she felt much better, she was willing to spend every second of her time off in dedication to her research. To her it was fun, while others would beg to differ. She often thought she wasn't like the typical person, anyway.

The door to the study room suddenly creaked opened. Cynthia peered over the headrest of the couch she was sitting on and noticed Bertha coming in. Their eyes met and the old woman smiled warmly.

"I thought you were in your room," Bertha told her as she walked over to one of the bookshelves in the shared study. "How are you, dear?"

"Happy to get back to my research," Cynthia replied with a small smile. She turned back to the book in front of her for a moment until a thought formed in her head. "Bertha, might I ask a question?"

The old woman took out a book from the shelf and gazed back at the champion. "Of course, go right ahead." She moved to sit on the opposite couch from where Cynthia sat. The champion sat up properly, placing her feet on the floor and the book in her lap.

"I was wondering if you could tell me if any visitors had come by while I was away," the blonde explained, returning the ground-type master's gaze.

Bertha thought for a moment. "There might have been a few, yes," she replied gently. "Why do you ask?"

"When I entered the building, I happened to overhear the entrance guard speaking to one of the butlers that he completely made a fool of himself in front of a former Hoenn champion." She had to suppress the urge to smile when she thought about the man she was describing. Thoughts of him had been filling her mind a lot lately.

A slow smile touched Bertha's lips. Cynthia furrowed her brows at the knowing look the old woman was sending her. "Ah yes, I do believe Steven Stone came here on one occasion."

So her suspicions were correct. This bit of information piqued the blonde's interest. "Steven…was here?"

"He mentioned he was an _acquaintance_ of yours, yes."

"Wait." Cynthia leaned forward slightly. "Why was he here?"

"My dear, it simply isn't my place to say what the man's intentions of coming here was," Bertha said with a tone of finality, her smile never wavering. "You should ask him directly, if you are curious." She started to get up and leave but paused when she made it to the door. "He is a very charming, young man, Cynthia. I do approve of him."

The Elite Four member left before she could see Cynthia's obvious dumbstruck expression upon hearing her last words. She had an idea to what the ground-type master was implying but tried not to dwell on it. Just the thought made the blonde champion sink into her seat as her whole face warmed up intensely.

She was simply amazed at how patient Steven had been with her during her rather depressed state. Cynthia realized firsthand how devoted he was to making her feel better. Him being the person she could lean on had not only pleased her but helped her during the recovery. All the negative thoughts she had initially thought he possessed had washed away completely when she figured that he wasn't about to go anywhere while she was torn. Thinking back on it now left her heart fluttering and stomach in a swirl of emotions.

She could tell that he cared a lot about her. It often crossed her mind but lately she had been feeling that her assumptions might have been correct. The way he held her in his arms during that low point and let her cry into him was one of the most thoughtful acts of kindness someone had ever offered for her. Not only that, but to see the concern for her in his eyes left her with just one thought.

She could not deny that she liked him in the way a man would for a woman.

While it might have been just an attraction at first, there was no doubt in her mind that she'd grown to like him more than just a close friend. It was obvious to her that night and it was obvious to her right now, that she wanted to be with him more than ever. The thought left her heart beating faster.

A smile touched her lips as her cheeks burned brighter. She was thankful that Bertha had left the room earlier and wouldn't have to face the woman's light teasing if she took one glance her way. Arceus only knew how the Elite Four member would react.

"My old age must be starting to get to me."

Cynthia whipped her head around in the direction of the voice and gaped. _Speak of the devil_. Bertha had abruptly come into the room, chuckling to herself, while the champion struggled to calm her racing heart.

"I left without my book," the old woman said as she went towards the table she left it on, which happened to be right in front of the champion, who was still blushing madly out of embarrassment now. Thankfully, Bertha didn't comment. "If only I were as young as you again my forgetfulness would be almost nonexistent." And then she made for the door again.

The blonde champion let out a sigh of relief when she thought that Bertha had finally left until she heard her voice behind her by the door, "By the way, you might want to open a window or something. Your cheeks look like they are burning from heat, Cynthia." Her words were followed by the soft closing of the door, leaving her alone in the room once more. That old woman was slyer than she would have ever guessed, which didn't happen to be a good thing.

Cynthia soon decided she needed to get some air and promptly left the building right after. Being in the headquarters for too long, especially just a few rooms away from Bertha, she knew wouldn't do her any good. She climbed onto her Togekiss' back once she was outside and let it take her wherever it pleased.

Flying in the skies never ceased to make her feel free. Being able to observe the lands she'd grown up on from an aerial standpoint felt like a whole new world was before her. The landscape of the Sinnoh region from above was simply breathtaking from the vast amounts of vegetation, the ocean surrounding the whole island, and the mountain seemingly splitting up the region in half.

It was nearing sunset when her Togekiss happened to fly close to Mount Coronet so she could see the whole mountain in all of its splendor and glory. The place she had found most mysterious to the legends and myths she had studied was what she loved the most about the region. It boasted for its secrets to be unfolded and told. It was what every aspiring historian like her dreamed to achieve. Being a Champion was one thing she held dearly to herself, but being able to solve Sinnoh's mysteries was another.

She patted her pokémon's neck lightly, telling it to stop there. Her Togekiss landed at the base of one of the many entrances into the mountain with a graceful and gentle touch down. Cynthia climbed off its back and gently stroked its head with affection. In turn, the flying-type nuzzled its head against hers, making her laugh.

"Thank you, Togekiss," she said to it before she recalled it back inside its poké ball.

Cynthia looked to the tall mountain before her and gazed in wonder. What it would be like to climb to the highest peak of the mountain was a dream of hers, to be able to witness the Spear Pillar where Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina were said to have been created by the almighty Arceus. It was sought out by many historians and archaeologists alike, but only evidence dating back to a couple hundred years ago was all that was left to learn from. She was told that the entrance to the Spear Pillar might have been blocked off and it was completely impossible to enter from above due to the high altitude and minimal oxygen levels in the air. However, it was said that entering the Spear Pillar from inside the mountain was a boundary that preserved conditions suitable for a human to stand upon without suffering from hyperventilation.

That was one mystery she hoped to see for herself one day. But to find the entrance had her at a loss.

Suddenly snapping out of her thoughts, she began hearing footsteps and a voice coming closer from the cave entrance. She watched as a tall figure emerged from the darkness and nearly gaped in surprise at who it was.

"Steven?"

Though his cheeks were matted with specks of dirt and on the surface of his clothes (probably from another of his excavation trips), there was no doubt that it was Steven who appeared before her. He was looking just as stunned as she was to suddenly see her standing there.

"Cynthia?" he asked, having stopped in his tracks right when he saw her. "What are you doing here?" Following behind him was none other than his Aggron whose footsteps created loud thuds as it walked. When it saw Cynthia its expression was that of aggression, as if it thought she was an enemy. It growled in her direction.

Though Cynthia was hardly intimidated, Steven sensed the sudden hostility from his partner behind him and turned around promptly. From what she could observe, he was talking to his pokémon, too softly for her to make out any words, but no doubt was he trying to calm it down. Then he took out a poké ball and recalled the steel-type into its confinement chamber. Once he turned back around he offered her a sheepish smile.

"Sorry about that," he said to her.

* * *

Seeing her once he came out of that tunnel was a complete shock to him.

Steven had spent most of the day trekking through Mount Coronet in hopes of, as always, finding rare stones he could add to his collection. To his satisfaction he found a few he was willing to keep for himself and was on his way out to return home when he saw her. He felt a burst of excitement but also confusion as it was a complete coincidence to see her at that exact cave entrance he was exiting from.

Once he took care of the sudden aggression of his Aggron and returned it to its poké ball, he turned to her with an apology. His pokémon's behaviour wasn't all that unusual but knew it would do him no good if he had let it stay outside.

The Sinnoh champion merely smiled. "Well this is surely a stroke of luck to see you here," she mused. Her sweet voice sent a slight shiver down his spine. "Rock collecting again?"

She said it almost teasingly which didn't stop the slight flush from appearing on his cheeks. Cynthia only laughed. "It's that obvious, huh?" he asked her.

"Maybe just a little," she replied with a smirk.

Steven smiled in return. "Are you here on official business?"

Cynthia shook her head, the black ornaments in her golden-like hair (from the way the sun reflected, her hair was almost like a halo) swinging with the movement. "I just happened to fly over the mountain and decided to take a small pit stop," she told him. "But it seems my timing was unfortunate since it looks like you're about to head off."

"I wouldn't mind staying a bit longer," he reassured her after hearing her crestfallen tone. "How are you, by the way?" Steven set his backpack down and sat on top of a large boulder. He gestured for her to sit next to him.

Lately they'd been meeting up with one another more often. Though they were friendly encounters, Steven didn't want to push the subject of where they stood until he knew she was up for the discussion. However, he had been noticing her opening up to him again, nearly returning to her normal self. They spoke like friends again, which he was glad to see happen. Of course, there was the uncommon teasing here and there, which he found to be equally flattering and refreshing at the same time.

In all, he was pleased to see her happy once more.

Their conversation was light and humorous as they sat beside one another outside the mountain. She discussed her recent findings after having had the chance to return to the research she liked to do while he, in turn, discussed some of the trips he had taken to various areas around Sinnoh.

"Speaking of trips," she began with a soft smile. "Bertha told me you came to the headquarters some time ago."

Steven widened his eyes in surprise. "She did?"

"Well, I might have had to probe her to admitting it, but she did." Her grey eyes were gazing at him amusedly.

He scratched the back of his neck, unsure of what to really tell her at this point. "Ah, well, yes, she's right," he replied simply.

Then she asked the question he expected her to, "If you don't mind me asking, why did you?"

This was where she had him at a loss. He wasn't sure if telling her he knew about her grandfather's passing before she revealed it to him was appropriate. It was a surprise to him that Bertha had even admitted it to him in the first place. However, he decided to stick with the truth. The truth deemed a more suitable explanation to why he went there in the first place.

Steven took in a breath, staring at the orange hued skies marking the sun's descent into the horizon. "I guess you could say I was worried about you, since I hadn't heard from you for a while before that," he admitted as he fiddled around with the silver rings on his fingers. "I thought that maybe going there would give me some answers and I happened to meet Bertha passing through."

Cynthia was silent for a moment to process his information. "She told you where I was?" Steven nodded. "And about my grandfather?"

He was hesitant to answer that question but truthfully nodded and said, "Yes."

Her lips formed a thin line as she looked forward. His gaze lingered on her, however, trying to read her expression. Steven couldn't say if she was angry or remorseful for her eyes spoke differently. "Did you really worry for me?" she suddenly asked, turning her grey eyes towards him again. His breath hitched in his throat as he watched the formation of a small smile touch the corners of her lips.

"Y-Yeah, of course," Steven replied albeit shyly. If his cheeks were burning at that moment, he didn't care. He was too caught up in her perfect complexion to realize. "I mean, that's what friends are for, right?" Saying it out loud made his stomach do an odd turn, however. She then turned away slowly; he thought he might have seen a flash of disappointment in her eyes when she did.

There was a pregnant pause between them.

If he didn't know any better, it was probably because of the words he had just spoken. Steven mentally cursed himself. Yes, he was her friend, she was his friend too – a friend he wanted to go beyond the boundary of friendship with. By saying what he had just said, might have broken that chance to tell her and ask her if he didn't fix it quickly. They were alone at the top of a mountain. What better way to tell her than at that moment? Because for all he knew, there might be no other chance to get her alone like this.

If only he hadn't been feeling so nervous to initiate the topic, he could do it.

His mind was screaming at him to say it, but he held back due to the doubt in his head. What if she was more interested in her career than a steady relationship with him? What if she rejected him altogether? Those negative thoughts seemed to pervade his mind as he slowly clenched his hands into fists.

But then he remembered: she was the one who reached out to him in her most dire situation. She was the one who _kissed_ him that night they had dinner alone. Those things spoke volumes to him that there was _some_ clue to how she might have felt about him and it brought a newfound confidence into his mind.

_The worst thing she can do is say 'no'_, he told himself when he looked back to her.

"Cynthia," Steven began, trying to get her attention. Her head slowly turned to meet his soft gaze upon her complexion. His heart was racing at this point. "I-I…there's something I've been meaning to ask you – er, to _tell_ you, for quite some time now."

The blonde only cocked her head to the side slightly as she listened. He had to swallow the lump of nervousness forming in his throat. _Now or never, Steven,_ he steeled himself for what was to come.

"You are truly an amazing woman," he started, trying to keep his voice and heart rate steady. "I'll admit, the first time I laid eyes on you, I was captivated. Never has someone made me feel drawn to them just on a first glance, like you did with me. I-I didn't think I'd ever get the chance to know you as I do right now. And through that time I've come to realize that you are more than just a woman and champion to this region." He paused to gauge in her reaction and smiled with all the adoration he held for her. "You are truly beautiful, inside and out, Cynthia. I can only express how much I admire you as a person and how much you mean to me with these little words I say to you.

"What I'm trying to say is," he continued, in a soft tone. "I like you...as more than a friend."

His cerulean eyes had never left her grey ones throughout his confession. Steven took in every quirk of her brow, every time her eyes widened, and the unnoticeable growing flush on her cheeks as he confessed how he felt for her.

The truth was finally out. He felt relieved, but at the same time was anxious to hear her response.

Moments later, she spoke up, "I have a confession myself."

Steven raised a brow. "You do?"

Cynthia looked down at her lap. "Do you remember that night I invited you to dinner at my grandparents' house?" He nodded in recollection of the memory. "At some point you left the room and I remember my grandfather telling me he was rather fond of you." She paused, a sad smile forming upon her lips. "I could tell he was being genuine about it – he never said anything he didn't mean. And then he went on to say…" She laughed. "…that he would allow me to be with _you_ if I was ever willing to."

Somehow, that brought a large grin on his face. "Are you willing to be with me?"

He had never seen her eyes full of happiness and great joy the moment he asked her. Her lips curled into a smile as she responded, "I am."

All the initial fear and worry he had felt earlier completely faded by those two words she uttered. Instead, they were replaced with excitement and exhilaration. Staring into her visible eye, he could tell she was beaming inside like he was.

Slowly, Steven reached out in an attempt to cup her cheek when an idea struck him. She didn't move when his fingers gently brushed away her fringe that covered her left eye, out of their own accord, to reveal her full face to him. He felt like time had truly stopped around them. It was the first time he had ever seen both of her vibrant grey eyes staring back at him and only one thought seemed to come to his mind as he took in this new appearance.

_Beautiful_.

And then he leaned forward to press his lips against hers.

It was tantalizingly slow as he wanted to savor the feel of her soft lips against his for as long as they remained like that. Her hands had come up to clutch at his sleeves as he had both of his cupping her cheeks. He was focused only on her, everything disappearing before them. She was the light at the end of the tunnel and he wanted to convey all the emotions he felt for her through that one kiss.

Steven couldn't have felt more pleased with himself in his entire life.

* * *

**Happy New Year everyone! I'm going to kick 2014 off by saying: They. Are. Officially. Together. Now.**

**You guys have no idea how it gives me great happiness to finally be able to say that. From here on out, it's mostly lolishota fluff so stick around if you'd like to see that unfold. :) Thank you for reading! You guys are awesome and I thank you for all the support!**


	24. Defeated

_Defeated_

* * *

Though it wasn't the first time she had been in the Underground, it certainly was the first time she would get the opportunity to learn how to excavate stones without having to result in brute force from her Garchomp. Pokémon were not even permitted to enter the Underground so long as they stayed in their poké balls, to her dismay. Nonetheless, Steven had suggested she come along with him one day to witness how professionals did it. Cynthia reasoned she had seen him in action before, she was willing to simply go with him as things weren't so busy around the League that they needed their Champion so desperately.

She much preferred the days where she'd be able to do what she wanted, anyway.

"Put this on," Steven told her once they set foot into the deep earth under the region. He took out a white hard hat, with a flashlight attached to the front, from his backpack and handed it to her. Gladly, she took it and set it on her head. "Sometimes loose rocks fall from the ceiling. It's better to be safe than sorry."

Suddenly he paused once he saw that the helmet was secure on her head. Steven stood there, simply looking at her with a dazed expression. Cynthia, having noticed this, furrowed her brows together.

"What?" she asked in puzzlement.

He opened his mouth once, but instead shook his head and sent her a smile. "Nothing, nothing," Steven muttered as he donned himself a hat of his own. "I…didn't think the hat would make you look adorable."

She felt the heat rising to her cheeks at this. As of lately he had been showering her with subtle compliments here and there, and every time she would feel flattered but also a little embarrassed. Hearing it from him seemed to only have this effect on her, however, but she didn't mind it at all.

Steven cleared his throat. "Anyway, let's get going then, shall we?"

She walked alongside him through the dimly lit tunnels that would spread underneath Sinnoh's lands. Wooden beams were built into the walls to prevent them from caving in. Construction lights hung over their heads to light up the area as they went deeper into the tunnels that would branch into four different directions every time they came to an intersection. All she could smell was the earthy terrain and dirt everywhere. She was surprised to find that no wild pokémon actually lurked in the Underground. It was fascinating to see how much work and effort was put into the system to have it be built throughout the entire region, for the sake of being able to mine. She could definitely see why Steven often came down there for most of his excursion trips.

"Have you encountered a lot of people down here?" Cynthia asked him.

"On some occasions, yes," he replied with a grin. Even in the dimly lit tunnels they were in, his blue eyes appeared brighter than usual. "You'd be surprised to know how many children I've seen running around creating secret bases and setting down traps everywhere."

"Traps?" Her eyes immediately looked down at the ground beneath them. From what she could see, the ground was pretty clear and spotless of any traps he had mentioned. "I don't see any traps around here."

"They're not that easy to spot," he explained. He then took out some kind of device from his pocket and showed it to her. "This radar can detect if there are any traps buried beneath the ground. If there is, you'd be wise not to step on the spot where it indicates. You have no idea how many I've run into when I first came down here." He frowned at the memory. "The plant traps are tedious to escape from."

Cynthia laughed as she imagined the ex-champion accidentally finding himself surrounded in a flurry of petals and leaves, as if he were caught in a Petal Dance, and having to flail his arms around to rid himself of the completely harmless petals.

Steven grinned. "But there are hardly any in this area," he assured her. "Not a lot of people enter the Underground from the Resort Area. We're probably the only ones here in this section of the system as of right now."

She raised a brow. "Is that so?" He looked to her and nodded.

Then, her hand brushed against his and she found herself intertwining their fingers together. Cynthia only smiled when he glanced at her.

As of yet, their relationship was currently under the wraps. The only people they told were those close to them and trusted to not share this news to the world. Heather was completely ecstatic and surprised to find that her older sister was _actually_ in a relationship with someone. The blonde was unsure whether to take her remark as a joke or an insult, but she brushed the comment away. Her grandmother was surprised as well but handled the news a lot calmer than her sister when she mentioned that it was Steven. The old woman shared the same fondness over the young man as her late husband did, which was a blessing and relief to the Sinnoh champion.

Aside from close relatives and friends, the couple weren't all too keen on publicly revealing it as they knew there would be quite the buzz in the media world and from the general public. Ultimately, they both preferred having a little privacy in terms of their personal lives, anyway. For now, they were content with just being able to show their affection for one another whenever they were alone.

As they walked, she noticed Steven examining the walls along the way. He came to a halt, suddenly, and let go of her hand to further examine a crack in the rock wall.

"This spot looks about right," he said to her. Steven set his backpack down and took out some tools for them to use. She recognized the metal hammer, appearing to be at least ten pounds, which he used to smash into the wall that one time she tagged along with him to Route 228. How did he manage to carry that plus all his other tools in his backpack?

"Don't worry," he suddenly said. He noticed her eyeing the hammer he just took out. "You won't be swinging this thing around any time soon." Instead, he grabbed the small pickaxe and beckoned her to come closer.

* * *

Watching Steven in his own element made it seem like the whole process to digging was easy. However, when it was _her_ turn to get a chance at it, she found it to be harder than it looked. He first used some kind of radar with which he was able to deduce the number of items that could be dug up within the crack he found. Then he warned her that the walls had a tendency to cave in on itself and so she would need to dig quickly, but carefully, if she wanted to see some results.

Nevertheless, luck didn't seem to be in her favour that day as Cynthia managed to collapse three walls in a row, barely able to dig up anything.

By the fourth try, she groaned in defeat. The temptation to just bring out her Garchomp to strike at the walls was higher than ever. However, Steven would have none of that.

He smiled encouragingly at her. "It just takes practice," he said as they walked around to find another spot to dig in.

"Maybe mining just isn't my forte," she muttered, trying to brush off some dirt on her coat which only seemed to smear it even further. The blonde sighed in annoyance.

"Let's just give it one more shot." He showed her to another bulge in the wall. "It looks like there are at least three things in here, so just take your time."

The Sinnoh champion sighed and took hold of the pickaxe again. She set herself in front of the wall again and was about to strike at it if not for Steven suddenly intervening.

"Wait, stop." She turned her head to him, still holding the pickaxe in the air. "Your stance and posture are incorrect." Steven stood behind her and she suddenly felt his hand move her arm, which was holding the tool, down a few inches. "Put your right foot in front of the other, to keep you stable." His new proximity would have flustered her were it not for the fact that all she wanted was to get the task at hand over with. But Cynthia did as told and began aiming her strikes at the wall.

For a little while, the hard bedrock was difficult to break through, but she managed to dig deep enough to see a few glittering spheres when Steven shined the flashlight into the hole. So far so good. The wall didn't seem close to collapsing just yet and she continued hacking away. Her arm might have been getting a little sore from the repeated strikes but Cynthia fought through the throbbing until they managed to fully see a medium sized red sphere that sparkled and glowed like an ember.

She let out a breath of relief when she pulled it out and gave it to Steven to examine. She could see the proudness in his eyes.

"Not bad," he said, turning the sphere in his hands. "It's a decent size but I'm sure we can get something nice with this."

Cynthia deadpanned. "Wait, you're just going to give it away? After all that work I put in?"

Steven smirked. "We don't have to, if you don't want to. But I know that some merchants down here would be willing to trade fo -"

"I think not," she said stubbornly and pocketed the stone when she swiped it back from his hand. It was her first discovery accomplishment since coming down to the Underground and seeing it just taken away like that did not sit well with her.

He just laughed and held up his hands in mercy. "Fair enough, you can just keep it, then."

She continued to dig through the wall again, with Steven observing behind her. Every now and then he'd show her some tips and techniques whenever a particularly stubborn piece of rock kept getting in the way. In the end, the wall eventually collapsed on itself without managing to retrieve the other items left inside. However, that was hardly of a concern to her anymore when she realized that despite the hardships and frustration she faced during the trip, she was just glad to have been able to spend more time with Steven.

It'd only been a week so far since he confessed to her. Cynthia found herself the happiest she's ever been, knowing the feelings she had for him were mutual.

"I think that's enough for today, don't you think?" Steven said to her after he finished packing up his tools.

She nodded at him and began walking back the way they came from, alongside one another. If she hadn't been so engrossed in conversation with him she would have seen the peculiar spot of discolouration on the ground that was only a few steps away from the direction she was walking in. However, before she knew it, it was much too late to retrace her steps and move around the spot for the ground was suddenly unable to support her weight below her. The blonde shrieked as she felt herself falling down where she ended up nearly chest deep inside a hole.

Steven called out her name when he heard her scream and was right beside her in a flash.

"What the -? Why am I in a hole?" Cynthia asked in a panic as she squirmed around to regain movement. Thankfully, her arms weren't caught inside and she was able to move them around freely. But the pit she was in was tight all around her that trying to pull herself out hardly did anything.

"Someone must have set up a pit trap," he replied simply as he studied the current problem at hand.

Her eyes widened. "I thought you said there were no traps around here?!" she demanded of him in a sharp tone, still trying to get herself out. "Shouldn't your radar have picked it up?"

Steven smiled sheepishly. "I-I forgot that it was in my pocket," he explained hesitantly. His eyes slowly widened in fear at the dangerous glare she was giving him. "But d-don't worry, I'll help you out of there."

She suddenly felt his hands under her armpits, as if he were preparing to simply heave her out. The situation couldn't have been any more embarrassing for her. Cynthia wished that she had stepped on a plant trap instead of the one she was in right now. Surely being surrounded by a flurry of leaves and flower petals wasn't as bad as falling into a hole?

"I'm going to pull you out and you push on the ground," she heard him say. "On three."

Cynthia nodded as she set her hands against the ground, ready to push herself out like instructed. "Okay, that's fine." After this whole ordeal, she swore she have to take a long shower to rid of all the dirt that was all over her.

"Ready? One, two, three…!"

She then pushed while he tried pulling her out. It took a few tries before they actually made any progress for Cynthia to finally be able to wriggle her body out. When she did, she breathed a sigh of relief as she sat on the ground in exhaustion. Steven crouched down next to her, eyes filled with worry. "Are you all right?"

Aside from the throbbing and soreness of her right arm from all that digging, she was perfectly fine. Although, come the next morning, she knew she'd be feeling sore all over. He helped her up while she brushed off some dirt on her clothes.

"Next time, we're going to the library."

* * *

**I wanted to update yesterday but FanFiction was being weird AGAIN. :| **

**Also, apologies that it took me several days to complete and post this one. I decided to give myself a little break after the last one, hehe. As always, thanks for reading! :)**


	25. Obsession

_Obsession_

* * *

Having grown up in a traditional Sinnoh-style house for most of her life, moving to the Sinnoh League Headquarters was a huge shock as the design element was widely different to what she was used to. Though the headquarters was built inside a castle, she couldn't help but first think that the residence itself should have been outfitted for royalty and she hardly thought she fit the bill. However, she used grew used to the place as it still held remnants of seeming like she was living in the past.

But as she roamed Steven's villa for a surprise visit, she couldn't help to similarly gaze in awe at the modern-designed architecture. The property itself was magnificent and intricately designed in terms of its infrastructure. It was like stepping into the future. Everything looked so bright and pristine that she was afraid if she touched anything it would break. In comparison to her family house and the League residence she lived in, it all seemed new and fresh to her. When she first feasted her eyes on the building, the asymmetrical style threw her off but once she wandered inside, she found it to be extremely fascinating.

Cynthia turned around when she heard Steven coming back into the room with a bottle of champagne and two champagne flutes in hand. He smiled at her, the familiar fluttering in her stomach starting to flow within her whenever he did. He handed her a glass and poured some of the beverage into it as her eyes gazed around towards her surroundings once more. Steven took note of this and chuckled.

"You look like you're amazed right now," he said to her as her grey eyes focused on him.

She sent him soft smile. "I just…your house is incredible. It's definitely something I've never seen before."

"I could give you a tour, if you'd like?"

Her eyes lit up with great interest. "I would like that very much."

It was as if she couldn't get ever more astounded as she followed him around the house. The entirety of the home was decorated to perfection with all the modern looking furniture that never actually appeared to clutter any of the rooms due to how large each room was. The ceilings were high in the living area as a grand chandelier hung over their heads. There seemed to be a running theme of white walls and brick stones throughout which only added to the charm to the home. He even showed her the many guest bedrooms on the upstairs floor, which she found appalling to know just how many there were. It certainly was a large abode for just one person, she thought.

The backyard was nothing to scoff about either; rather her eyes were wide in amazement. It was outfitted with a large pool connected to the porch as they stepped outside, while the rest of the yard was a grassy terrain where she saw all his pokémon hanging around in. Everything about the place was a beauty, to her. And while she might have preferred living in places that were more traditional or long-established, she was curious to know what living in such a modern space was like.

When it seemed like she'd seen everything there was to the home, they passed a door next to the kitchen that caught her attention suddenly.

"What's this door over here?" she asked him.

He turned around to see what she was referring to and smiled handsomely. "Ah, that." Steven opened it and turned on the lights showing a staircase that would lead into what was probably the basement. Now his house was _definitely_ a lot bigger than she expected. "It leads to the basement where I store most of the rocks I've collected so far in Sinnoh." He saw the curious look in her eye and laughed. "Come on, I'll show you."

She followed him as they traversed down the stairs. The basement was one huge, open-floor room where many glass, display cases and contemporary pedestals were scattered about, all of them featuring stones of different colours. They were all mostly uncut stones and crystals varying in different sizes. She couldn't imagine what great lengths Steven must have went through to obtain all of them as they all looked rare and things she'd never seen before. To think he had one big large area just for his beautiful collection was beyond her. She was more than impressed at this point.

"Oh my…" Her eyes were wide when she looked around the room. "These are all from Sinnoh?"

Steven nodded. "The collection's still growing, too."

"These must be worth a fortune," she commented as she followed him when he began walking through the room.

"Probably, but that's hardly a concern to me," he said. "I keep them because they tell of all the memories I spent trying to gather all of them."

She raised a brow in slight skepticism. "Oh really, now?" Surely Steven wasn't able to recall where he found _every _single stone in the room they were standing in.

The ex-champion smirked a little smugly. "Do you doubt me?"

"You mustn't make assumptions, _Mr. Stone_." Cynthia suppressed the urge to smirk at the slight grimace he made. "I had no say in ever doubting you."

"Oh really, now?" he mocked her previous words intentionally. "I suppose I mistook your tone the wrong way, then." They were standing face to face now, his cerulean eyes staring down into her grey ones. Then he gestured to the entire room. "Pick a stone and I'll tell you when and where I managed to find them."

She let out a slight chuckle from his sudden challenge. He seemed intent on proving himself to her. "All right, then."

The Sinnoh champion made sure to carefully look over each piece of rock before settling on a random one that caught her eye. She came to a stop and pointed to a brown, crystal-like stone, behind a glass cover. The stone itself was no bigger than the size of her palm upon first glance. "This one, right here."

"That's a type of smoky quartz I found inside Mount Coronet," Steven replied with ease. "They're said to relieve one's negative energy and replace them with positive energy. But I only picked it up because it's got a rather darker hue than what I've seen in the past."

She smiled in amusement. "Interesting," Cynthia muttered and began walking through the aisles once more. "How about this one?" She was pointing to a stone that appeared to have been sliced open revealing different rings of blue that spiralled into the core. The lighter shades of the azure colour had initially reminded her much of Steven's eyes.

"That's a blue agate stone from Stark Mountain," he said as he went over to stand beside her. "Of course, I had to have it cut open to be able to see the blue colours like this. It wouldn't have looked all too pretty if I didn't."

It seemed he actually knew his stones pretty well. Although she wasn't sure, with the previous two, if he was being truly honest to what he was telling her but she took his word for it anyway since she knew so little about the subject, herself. Cynthia looked around the room once more, in hopes of finding something that would have him stumped to recall where he had obtained it.

Her grey eyes glazed over the different stones until they did a double take on a particularly orange-pink crystal that had caught her attention almost immediately. Just simply looking at it sent a warm feeling through her body. She had never seen the two colours blended together so beautifully and intricately as that stone did. It reminded her of a sun setting, the moment the sky barely touched the beginnings of the night while still reflecting the sun's rays, producing a similar orange-pink hue. The sight was comforting, often reminding her of being at home. "What's this one?"

"I found that in the Underground a few months ago," he said over her shoulder. "It's a rare type of sapphire because of the two colours in it, which is seldom occurrence."

She took a moment to just stare at its wondrous beauty. "It's a very beautiful stone," she said earnestly, almost wishing she could hold it were it not for the glass casing around it.

He chuckled. "I like it too, to be honest."

"Your collection is really something, Steven." Cynthia was looking straight at him now.

Steven rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish grin. "It's nothing to be so worked up about," he replied modestly. "People _do_ say I have a rather odd interest in making this a hobby of mine."

"If it makes you happy, why care about what other people have to say?" she smiled. "And I'm more than impressed by your collection."

She didn't want to ask if he meant family, friends, or complete strangers would think it odd for him to have a hobby like this. She just knew that, in the end, no matter how many people or who they were, that shouldn't have to stop him in what he loved doing most. It was the same with her and her want to pursue her researching tendencies when it came to mythology and lore.

Cynthia gazed around at the display cases once more until she caught sight of a particular stone a few steps away. A sense of familiarity swelled within her as she gazed upon its bright orange complexion and went closer to get a better look. Steven chuckled when he saw what she was looking at.

Her hands touched the glass cover. "Is this…?"

"Yes, that's the Old Amber you gave me," he confirmed her suspicions.

A smile graced her lips. "You actually kept it?" she found herself murmuring as her eyes looked over the shiny fossilized stone she had presented to him when he arrived in Sinnoh months ago. Seeing it again after such a long time brought a tugging feeling inside her chest.

"I saw no point in giving it away." He went over and took the glass cover off in order to take the stone in his hand. "It was a present, no?"

Cynthia smiled. "Indeed, it was. I'm happy to know you still have it."

She took the stone out from his outstretched hand. Cool and smooth, just like she remembered it when she first picked it up exploring Mount Coronet all those months ago. Her heart felt warm inside her chest as she gazed upon the amber colour it reflected back. It might have brought her some good amount of money if she had sold it initially, the man who got it appraised for her said as much, but found it in herself to keep it a little while longer instead. Even then, she was unsure of what she was going to do with it, at the time.

And then it ended up in the hands of the ex-champion. Her initial thought was that Steven would probably put it to better use; to sell it or even revive it since his father owned the technology to do just that. She had every right, however, to be surprised that he actually had the gall to keep it safe and in the best of care.

He _was_ a rock enthusiast, after all.

"Call me sentimental, but I kept it because it reminded me of you, in a way," she suddenly heard him say. Steven grinned at her when her eyes met his. "This amber has its own mysterious and heartwarming vibe, just like you have that effect on me sometimes."

Cynthia had the urge to roll her eyes at his comment but that certainly didn't stop the slight warming of her face as she listened to him. She put the amber back in its holder as he placed the glass cover back on.

"But you know, amber stones are known for bringing good luck and success to someone," he told her as they began heading back to the staircase.

"'Good luck and success'?" The blonde laughed once they reached the top step and stood before one another. "Are you saying that everything that's happened up 'til now is based off some stone's properties?" The idea sounded absurd even to her own ears as she said it.

"In what way exactly?"

She would have frowned at his response being a question to her question but instead she just laughed. Steven sent her a knowing smile. They both had an idea to what they were implying to one another that they needn't say it out loud. Cynthia was never one to put her faith into letting fate run its course in every person's lives. Instead, she believed that one's own actions would ultimately decide what would happen next. But if fate was a factor that might have brought them together, then she would accept it wholeheartedly.

* * *

**Modern/Contemporary homes are so, so, soooo cool and beautiful. All the pictures on google make me wish I lived in those kinds of houses. :)**

**And, my gosh, have we **_**really **_**reached 100 reviews? I'm really surprised! Honestly, you guys are an awesome bunch! Even if this shipping never occurred to you or you just happened to stumble upon this story, you have my sincere thanks. If I could, I'd hug you all, haha! xD Thanks for reading! **


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